


Blood

by darkbluebox



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Edit: See notes for link to Chinese translation, Fluff, Hogwarts Era, M/M, enjoy, hufflepuff Yama, i am trash for hogwarts aus and angst im so sorry, slytherin Tsukki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-03 20:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4114318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkbluebox/pseuds/darkbluebox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Words like "Muggle-born" and "Pure-blood" don't mean a lot when you're still a child, but everyone has to grow up sooner or later.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Battle of Hogwarts, Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo readers!  
> I have this whole fic written, just need to sit down and edit/post each chap.  
> First few chaps are quite short but, like the books, they'll get a lot longer as it continues!  
> This is just a little opening, first proper chapter tomorrow.
> 
> EDIT: Now available in Chinese thanks to CantoneseCanidae. Translation here: http://283234k.lofter.com/post/1d068f91_d0b61b3

**The Battle of Hogwarts, 2 nd May 1998**

Yamaguchi couldn’t remember being more terrified in his life. The castle he had grown to think of as home was being torn apart around him in the midst of the violent sea of curses and explosions which flew from side to side, striking down Death Eaters and kids alike.

 

He sent hex after hex at the robed figures that came running at him, ducking spells by mere inches which, had his reflexes been a second later, would have surely killed him.

 

He could only be grateful for his classmates that stood with him; some of whom he hadn’t seen in years, but had returned despite having graduated or run away to fight alongside him in this battle for the wizarding world.

 

All his friends were there. Daichi and Suga stood back to back, fiercely shooting curses at anyone who dared to threaten the other. Tanaka and Noya from time to time streaked past, usually carrying something very explosive and always hollering at the tops of their lungs, Asahi and Ennoshita in panicked pursuit. Hinata and Kageyama were fighting frantically yet at the still time still managing to bicker; as far as Yamaguchi could tell they were competing to see who could knock out the most Death Eaters. All the while Kiyoko was calmly and efficiently taking out anyone who so much as looked at Yachi.

 

Everyone who had ever mattered to him was there. Except for one person.

 

But of course, he couldn’t be there, fighting alongside them. Why would he be?

 

Having successfully knocked out a thin, veiled but probably female figure, Yamaguchi turned to find the next Death Eater to cross his path.

 

They were tall, taller than Yamaguchi, and probably male.

 

Yamaguchi didn’t wait for an attack; he had learned all too quickly that hesitation lead to a sticky end. Instead he struck.

 

_“Everte Statum!”_

Yamaguchi’s victim was thrown backwards, slamming into the already-crumbling wall behind with a thump. Yamaguchi allowed himself a second of self-congratulation – all that defence practice had really paid off. He glanced back at the Death Eater, whose hood had slipped off his head.

 

Yamaguchi froze, as though someone had cast a full body-bind curse on him. He stood rooted to the spot as the defeated Death Eater looked up at him, eyes wide.

 

It was Tsukishima.


	2. First Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now: Back to the beginning.

**Seven Years Earlier**

**First Year**

Yamaguchi’s gran had always told him he was special. He had never really believed her – after all, he wasn’t particularly smart, or funny or unique in any way as far as he could tell. He was a bit clumsy, a bit awkward, and occasionally odd things happened around him. But then again, the same could probably be said of anyone.

 

It was only a coincidence that the boy who laughed at his freckles came into school the next day covered in boils. It was only a coincidence that upon rushing into school an hour late he found that every clock in the building had inexplicably stopped. And as for the time he had knocked a plate off the table only to see it hang in the air, waiting to be caught… well. There was some sort of logical explanation.  

 

But then there was his oddball gran, who occasionally lit up their tiny family home with her presence, telling Yamaguchi the most bizarre stories about magic castles and impossible creatures from another world hidden under the skin of his own. But that was all they were – stories that made his parent’s eyes roll, prompting a spectacular chuckle from his gran along with a conspiratorial wink.

 

Except Yamaguchi turned eleven, and the next thing he knew there was a letter, the most amazing letter telling him the most spectacular things; telling him of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which he would be attending the following year.

 

The letter arrived, coincidently, a year to the day after the passing of his gran. He wished more than anything that he could have shared the event with her, asked her some of the millions of questions that sprung from his mind. But instead he faced the journey alone, finding his way to London, to Diagon Ally, to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, to Hogwarts and the great hall where the sorting hat rummaged through his mind disconcertingly for a few seconds before announcing HUFFLEPUFF to a room full of applauding students.

 

It was terrifying and exhilarating, and Yamaguchi loved it.

 

Except, as he should have expected, the bullying he received from other students followed him from the muggle world to the wizard one.

 

It wasn’t about anything as simple as his freckles any more. Now it ran deeper.

 

“Mudblood!” The taunt that haunted his days him reached his ears once more as his back slammed into the wall. The boys (nameless, faceless bullies, some Slytherin but not all, who hit Yamaguchi with tripping curses in the corridor and slipped dungbombs into his bag) surrounded him, delighted at having cornered him in a dark and, more importantly, deserted corridor.

 

Yamaguchi couldn’t reply; he could feel his throat closing up, and his eyes filled with hot, shameful tears that he couldn’t make himself hold back no matter how hard he tried. The boys only laughed harder, their scorning voices swamping Yamaguchi.

 

“What’s going on?” A cold voice cut through their laughter.

 

“Shit, a prefect!” One of them hissed.

 

“Don’t be an idiot! He’s only a first-year!”

 

The figure stepped into Yamaguchi’s eye-line, and his breath caught in his throat. He recognised the blonde-haired boy from some of his classes. The attractive Slytherin known for his cutting tongue and terrible personality. Yamaguchi bit his lip, fear rushing through him at the thought of gaining another attacker. He waited for the insults that seemed to fly so readily from the boy’s lips, but they never came.

 

“…pathetic.”

 

“What the-” One of the bullies began.

 

The blonde turned away with a tut, disinterested.

 

“Hey, hold it-” One of the boys rushed forwards, grabbing his shoulder.

 

The Slytherin spun around, his wand at the boy’s throat in an instant.

 

“ _What?”_ He spat in a voice heavy with threat.

 

The boy bolted, his friends following immediately. One yelled an insult over his shoulder – something stupid about his glasses – but the Slytherin laughed it off, and Yamaguchi’s heart jumped – in surprise, confusion, admiration, or even something else.

 

He stood up to the bullies all on his own.

 

Over the following days and weeks, Yamaguchi began to ensure that the only seat left in class when the boy – Tsukishima, as he turned out to be called – wandered in seconds before being marked as late was beside him, and found that if he timed it just right he could leave breakfast at the same time as Tsukishima to walk some of the way to their classes together.

 

While Tsukishima seemed quick to insult anyone who crossed his path, he seemed to view Yamaguchi as an exception to this rule. Or perhaps Yamaguchi was simply so beneath his notice that Tsukishima didn’t see it as worth his time.

 

Either way, they were sort-of friends. Probably.

 

Tsukishima didn’t talk much, but Yamaguchi didn’t mind. He was happy to fill in the gaps, even if he wasn’t sure if the other was listening to half of his ramblings. But he did manage to gleam a little about his new friend, even if a lot of it was from hushed conversations that weren’t meant to reach his ears. Tsukishima was from a rich, well-known, pure-blood family, like many Slytherins, and he had an older brother who wasn’t around anymore – a Squib, who either ran away or had been cast from the family in shame. Yet despite what Yamaguchi heard about Tsukishima’s notoriously prejudiced family, he didn’t seem to care about Yamaguchi’s background at all. He knew some of the nastier members of Tsukishima’s house disapproved of him hanging around with Yamaguchi, and he wondered if they ever gave him a hard time about it. Yet Tsukishima simply shrugged off the harsh stares and mutters like they were nothing. And Yamaguchi’s heart swelled.

 

As the weeks turned to months, Yamaguchi began to call Tsukishima Tsukki, and the other didn’t object. He wasn’t sure exactly when they started spending all their time together, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. They studied in the library, relaxed by the lake, watched the older years practice Quidditch – a sport Tsukishima seemed vaguely interested in and one Yamaguchi was fascinated to discover – and even if a lot of their time together was spent without speaking, it was a comfortable kind of quiet which Yamaguchi loved nothing more than to share with his first and only best friend.

 

“I’ll send you owls.” Yamaguchi stammered as they said their goodbyes on the train station platform. “I-If that’s ok?”

 

Tsukki gave Yamaguchi a genuine smile. It was one of Tsukki’s least-used expressions, and the sight of it was enough to make Yamaguchi feel as though he had been caught by a cheering charm.

 

“I’ll write too.” Tsukki murmured bashfully.

 

“Aaw.” Yamaguchi blushed, unable to fight back a grin.

 

Tsukki’s eyes fixed onto a couple who had arrived on the platform, his face freezing. They shared his cold eyes and disapproving features.

 

“I’ll see you after summer.” He mumbled, before taking off in their direction, shoulders hunched.

 

The summer dragged along slowly, and even though the pair sent letters back and forth on a weekly basis, Yamaguchi couldn’t help but long for the silent yet pressing presence to be at his side once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward 11/12 year olds are life \\(^_^)/


	3. Second Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiss Hiss...

**Second Year**

 

When he returned at last to the castle that was quickly becoming his home, Yamaguchi decided to join the Quidditch team. He wasn’t particularly skilled or gifted, but the rush from flying through the air with a Quaffle under his arm was invigorating. He began to make friends with his other team members, but was still careful to find time to be with Tsukki between practice and classes. Tsukki would often follow Yamaguchi down to the pitch to watch him swoop around on one of the rickety school brooms, eyes following him with interest – and another emotion Yamaguchi couldn’t identify.

 

News began to spread around school of attacks in the corridors, and people being found frozen like statues. First the caretaker’s cat, then students, and whoever was behind it had made it clear – they were after Muggle-borns. Yamaguchi tried not to be too concerned for his own safety – after all, he had his gran, even if certain students still insisted on calling him “Mudblood”. But Tsukki became increasingly reluctant to let him wander the school’s halls alone, and Yamaguchi turned down his frequent offers of escort with a blush.

 

On a cool evening spent, as was often the case these days, with Yamaguchi practicing new techniques on his broom under Tsukki’s constant gaze, a question arrived in Yamaguchi’s mind as if by apparition.

 

“Hey, Tsukki.”

 

The Slytherin didn’t reply, but his eyes briefly met Yamaguchi’s, often the only way Yamaguchi could tell he was listening.

 

“You like Quidditch too, right? Why don’t you join your house’s team? Then we can play against each other.”

 

Tsukki scrunched up his face, and Yamaguchi wondered for a moment if he had horribly offended the other. But how? It was only a suggestion, after all.

 

“Too much effort.” Tsukki shrugged at last.

 

Yamaguchi came to a halt, broom hovering just above the ground in front of the other.

 

“You enjoy watching it though, don’t you? Maybe you’d enjoy playing, too.”

 

Tsukki paused, as if considering.

 

“No.” The answer was firm, but for some reason Yamaguchi didn’t want to drop it.

 

“You’d probably be really good, though.” Yamaguchi continued as they strolled back up to the castle at the end of an exhausting evening. “You said you used to play around on the brooms at your house. I’m sure you wrote about it in one of your letters.”

 

“Hmm.” Tsukki’s eyes fixed on the path ahead.

 

“It could be fun. We could practice together.”

 

Tsukki turned to face Yamaguchi, and for the first time Yamaguchi felt the spark of irritation in Tsukki’s eyes directed at him.

 

“I said no, okay? Just drop it.”

 

“Oh.” Disappointment curled in Yamaguchi’s stomach, with just a hint of worry. It seemed Yamaguchi wasn’t immune to Tsukki’s temper, after all.

 

“I’ll meet you tomorrow for breakfast, yeah?”

 

Tsukki nodded curtly, and they headed in their separate directions that evening without saying goodbye.

 

As Yamaguchi strolled along a corridor lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, he watched the sun setting over the distant mountains, contemplating Tsukki’s mood. There was something more than simple disinterest to Tsukki’s behaviour; he rarely got so fired up about anything. Perhaps it was something to do with the Slytherin team’s current members – Tsukki wasn’t exactly the world’s easiest person to get along with, after all. Yamaguchi shrugged it off. Sure, it was disappointing that Tsukki wouldn’t play with him, but there was little Yamaguchi could do. If Tsukki was content to watch, then so be it.

 

Yamaguchi’s train of thought was interrupted by a low hiss. About to turn around, he paused as he caught sight of something moving in the window’s reflection, something huge and green and scaly-

 

Yamaguchi opened his eyes what felt like moments later to the harsh white ceiling of the hospital wing and a Tsukki that looked like he had taken an aging potion since the pair had last met. His skin was almost papery, and while he had always been thin, his cheeks were hollow and Yamaguchi was certain he could meet his fingers around the other’s wrist if he tried. But weirdest of all, he looked at least an inch taller.

 

“What…” Yamaguchi tried to speak, but everything felt stiff, like his muscles had been coated in wax. “What happened to you?!”

 

Tsukki’s brow creased.

 

“Me? It was _you_!”

 

“Eeh?” Yamaguchi grunted, gritting his teeth as he tried and failed to sit up.

 

“You were petrified.” Tsukki’s voice didn’t vary from his usual monotone, but he threaded his fingers together, a gesture Yamaguchi knew well.

 

“P-petrified?”

 

Tsukki nodded.

 

“Apparently it was a basilisk. Doesn’t matter, somebody killed it, they’re having a feast-” Tsukki cut himself off, and Yamaguchi’s eyes widened, because if he hadn’t known better he would have said that Tsukki was _babbling_.

                           

“It’s been months.” The Slytherin spluttered at last.

 

_Months?_ Yamaguchi’s brain took a moment to make the connection.

 

“I-I’ve missed _months?_ ”

 

Tsukki nodded, and Yamaguchi notes the tension in his shoulders, and how his eyes looked a little more sunken in than they should have been.

 

“I-” Tsukki cleared his throat. “I, uh… joined the Quidditch team.”

 

Yamaguchi laughed, although it was almost a sob too, because _he’d been petrified for months and his best friend looked half-dead with worry._ Sitting up, he ignored the complaints from his muscles to pull Tsukki into a hug, even though he knew the other wasn’t big on physical contact. For a second Tsukki stiffened in his arms before relaxing shakily into the touch and Yamaguchi could feel Tsukki’s warmth seep into his frozen bones as the other curled his arms around him in return

 

That year their goodbyes were filled with promises to practice flying over summer, so as to be on top form when they played each other the following year. As Yamaguchi waved goodbye he noticed with lifting spirits the healthy warm tinge that had returned to Tsukki’s cheeks, and how the spark that appeared in his eyes whenever he looked at Yamaguchi had brightened once more.    

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trash I am trash I a m t r a shhhh  
> Also thanks to everyone who has left such kind comments so far! It was such lovely feedback to wake up to xxx  
> Hoping to post a new chapter each day but if I don't it's because my internet broke. Fingers crossed...


	4. Third Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dementors suck.

**Third Year**

They weren’t able to find an empty carriage that year, so the pair ended up sharing with an excitable ginger Gryffindor and his more stoic Slytherin friend, who scowled at Tsukki as though the other had personally offended him (but then, it was Tsukki – he probably had). The conversation was even more one-sided as usual as they discussed their summer, with Tsukki clearly feeling inhibited by the presence of other students.

 

When the train screeched to a halt, the Gryffindor immediately bounced up to the window.

 

“What if we’ve broken down? Or maybe they ran out of fuel!”

 

“Dumbass Hinata! It’s a _magic train!”_

 

“So? What are you, a train expert, Kageyama?”

 

As the two bickered Yamaguchi could see a crease in Tsukki’s forehead grow with irritation.

 

“It’s probably nothing. A tree on the line, perhaps.” Yamaguchi smiled nervously.

 

Tsukki pushed his glasses up his nose, responding only with a thoughtful hum.

 

Yamaguchi shivered. Why was the train suddenly so cold?

 

For a few seconds the only sound was that of the wind and the rain as it beat against the windows.

 

Then there was a shriek from the Gryffindor – Hinata, was it? – as the lights popped out. This was followed by a thud that sounded like an attempt to scramble towards the door.

 

“Ow, that was my foot, dumbass! Watch where you’re going!”

 

“How? Its pitch black!”

 

“Just sit down already– NOT ON ME, IDIOT!”

 

Yamaguchi couldn’t see the eye-roll but he could hear Tsukki’s “Tch!” of irritation.

 

“Th-there’s something moving out there!” Yamaguchi squinted out of the window, unable to make out much in the darkness. “I think people are coming on board!”

 

“What if they’re g-g-ghosts?” Came Hinata’s panicked voice.

 

“We go to a school _full_ of ghosts, dumbass!” The Slytherin boy’s scornful tone almost matched Tsukishima’s.

 

“Yeah, but the ones at school aren’t _scary_ ones.”

 

Tsukishima sighed loudly.

 

Then the compartment door slid open. Yamaguchi couldn’t see who – what – stood there, but when he heard the heavy, rattling breaths he decided he didn’t want to.

 

The cold became so bad that Yamaguchi could feel in right down to his core, and there was a tugging sensation in his heart, as though something was being sucked from it. He suddenly found himself thinking of things that hadn’t concerned him in a long while – bullies that teased him for his freckles or attacked him for his blood-status, the day he heard his gran had died, the crushing fear that he would never do anything special or amount to anything…

 

He was pulled from his train of thought when he heard Tsukki’s shaking, laboured breaths.

 

“Tsukki? Tsukki?” Yamaguchi whispered, reaching out to grab a shoulder that was shaking and clammy with sweat. “Tsukki, are you ok?”

 

His friend didn’t respond, not until the door slid shut and the presence moved off.

 

When the lights flickered back on at last, Tsukki’s face was ashen, his eyes flicking nervously around the room.

 

Yamaguchi was about to speak again, when he was interrupted by Hinata.

 

“I – I think I’m going to-”

 

He threw up over the Slytherin boy’s lap.

 

In the chaos which was the remainder of the train ride, the trip up to the castle and the feast, Yamaguchi didn’t get another chance to have a proper conversation with Tsukki. It was only a few days later, when everyone had settled into their new classes and timetables that the pair got a chance to talk.

 

Except Tsukki made it clear that he wasn’t interested in talking. When Yamaguchi mentioned the Dementors (as he had learned they were called) Tsukki’s reactions ranged from evasive to downright volatile.

 

“I don’t see why you’re so interested in talking about it.” Tsukki snapped one evening as they sat in the library with half a dozen books splayed open on the table before them. “It was just a search. Nothing even _happened._ ”

 

“I – I know, I just…” Yamaguchi licked his lips nervously. “After it left… you looked so _awful_. Even worse than Hinata. I was really scared.”

 

Tsukki’s eyes came to rest on Yamaguchi for a moment, before moving back to the parchment before him.

 

“There’s no need to worry.” He muttered at last.

 

Yamaguchi sighed.

 

“Sorry, Tsukki. I can’t help it.”

 

Over the course of the term the pair trained hard for their respective Quidditch matches, and Yamaguchi appreciated his efforts when his team came up against Gryffindor. The match took place on a cold and miserable day, and Yamaguchi's hands felt as though they were going to freeze to his broom.

 

He squinted through the rain, trying to watch for his other team members, for Bludgers, but most importantly for the Quaffle.

 

He swooped and dived, catching and passing the ball just as he had practiced all summer. The Gryffindor team weren’t making it easy for him – the Beaters sent Bludgers flying this way and that, and the Keeper knocked the Quaffle away from the hoops time and time again. Their newest Chaser, Hinata, although lacking technique, could zoom from one end of the pitch to the other in seconds, treating his broom as though it were an extension of himself.

 

Yamaguchi heard cheers from behind him, and wondered if the snitch had been sighted – but that wasn’t his concern, his concern was the Quaffle, and getting it through the hoops as often as possible.

 

Except the cheers fell silent as though a blanket had been dropped over the stadium, and although Yamaguchi was already shivering from the onslaught of rain, the cold began to feel deeper, reaching all the way down inside him. Yamaguchi turned at last, because something was really very wrong, and when he looked towards the ground and he knew why.

 

Dementors.

 

He had never seen one before, just felt a presence in a darkened carriage, but just by looking he knew, _knew_ , that those black hooded beings could be nothing else. This time it wasn’t one but at least a hundred, swarming the grounds of the pitch and cutting off the crowd’s yells like a gag.

 

Yamaguchi’s heart went cold, and he struggled to hold his broom steady as thoughts washed over him – he was useless, he was nothing, he was wasting his time and everyone else’s, he wasn’t worth the air he breathed –

 

On the ground below there was yelling, followed by a blast of pure white light. Yamaguchi shielded his eyes as the Dementors fled, feeling the crushing weight of their presence lift.

 

When the last robed figure was gone from his sight, he found himself scanning the crowd, searching for the familiar dot of blonde amongst hundreds of students.

 

But he couldn’t spot Tsukki, and when he saw his team’s Seeker, looking confused and upset but clutching the Snitch nonetheless, he knew the match was over. He would have to find Tsukki later.

 

He tracked him down at last later that night at one of his favourite haunts, the roof of the Astronomy Tower. He knew it was Tsukki’s preferred hideout as he could could escape the noise of bustling students, interfering teachers and mischievous poltergeists to watch the stars in peace.

 

He knew Tsukki only allowed him to share this peace because, as was often the case, Yamaguchi was an exception to Tsukki’s many rules and boundaries. But it remained Tsukki’s space, his place of peace, and so Yamaguchi had to tread carefully.

 

For a while neither spoke, eyes on the distant stars as the breeze whispered around them. In astronomy lessons they studied these stars and planets, but it was all too academic for Yamaguchi; he preferred the way Tsukki taught him about them, telling him what each constellation was a picture of and the story behind it, and on those nights he could see why this was Tsukki’s favourite place. Feeling the cool night and listening to Tsukki’s voice soften as he spoke about Scorpio or Libra was Yamaguchi’s definition of peace.

 

“Are you ok, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi took a seat next to his friend. “I didn’t see you after the match.”

 

Tsukki didn’t react to Yamaguchi’s arrival.

 

“It’s ok if you don’t want to talk. I’m here for you either way.”

 

There was another long silence which ended with a heavy sigh.

 

“I couldn’t.”

 

“What?”

 

“I couldn’t talk about it even if I wanted to. It’s not something I can…can…”  Tsukki let out another shuddering breath.

 

“That’s ok, Tsukki.” Cautiously, Yamaguchi leaned over until his head came to rest on Tsukki’s shoulder. There was a moment of stiffness before Tsukki relaxed into the touch, resting his head on top of Yamaguchi’s. Yamaguchi closed his eyes, feeling Tsukki’s shoulder rise and fall with his breaths which were deep and shaky. He couldn’t imagine why Dementors seemed to affect Tsukki so strongly, but the least he could do was be there for his friend.

 

When he felt Tsukki’s arm shift his eyes snapped open again, and he was about to sit up when he felt Tsukki’s hand wrap around his. The grip was on the brink of bone-crushing, but that didn’t stop Yamaguchi’s stomach from feeling as though it had filled with pixies. Tsukki initiating contact was a big thing. He squeezed Tsukki’s hand back gently, nuzzling once more into the other’s shoulder and listening as his breathing slowly returned to normal. 

 

They nearly missed curfew that night, neither wanting to move and break the bubble of comfort they had found in the other. For Yamaguchi, it was worth it.

 

All the same, the tension Tsukki failed to hide didn't leave until the day the Dementors were withdrawn from Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't resist bickering Kagehina   
> Or Tsukki angst  
> im sorry  
> oops that was a lie i'm not even remotely sorry 3:) 3:)


	5. Fourth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukki really really really really likes dragons.

**Fourth Year**

A couple weeks before they were due to return back to school, he received an excited letter from Tsukki. This was surprising for several reasons: first of all, Tsukki didn’t get excited over nothing. Secondly, Tsukki’s owls had been less than regular that summer as his family had been on holiday in Peru for most of the break. Being forced to spend time with his parents, though, had apparently been worth it for Tsukki, as the country was famous for its Vipertooth dragons.  Dragons were the one magical species with which Tsukki seemed to have a particular fascination. Yamaguchi happened to know (not that he would ever tell anyone) that Tsukki owned a couple miniature magical toy dragons, which would fly around his room and occasionally set fire to his homework.

 

But this letter wasn’t full of Tsukki’s usual in-depth account of every dragon tooth, claw or scale he had found, or even detailed descriptions of sightings, but different news instead. His father had managed to catch Dragon Pox, which meant a change in their plans as they would return from Peru earlier than expected. This in turn meant that Tsukki would be able to go to the Quidditch World Cup, which he had been expecting to miss due to his travels. But, most excitingly of all, by way of apologising for a holiday cut short, his mother had given him an extra ticket, so he could invite a friend.

 

Yamaguchi was going to the Quidditch World Cup!

 

Having made his way to London to meet up with Tsukki, it was to his great amusement that he found out that, when it came to Muggle transport, Tsukki was _hopeless_.

 

“All their coins look the same! And some of their money is _paper_. _Paper_ , Yamaguchi!”

 

Yamaguchi failed to hold back a chuckle as he took the Muggle money from Tsukki’s hands and began to count out enough for their train tickets.

 

The Ministry had commandeered a couple of Muggle trains to run back and forth between the major cities and the stadium, which meant that once they bordered the train they were completely surrounded by witches and wizards from all over the world.

 

“We got the tickets a bit last-minute, so I don’t know how good our seats will be.” Tsukki mumbled to Yamaguchi, his face pressed against the window. Despite the Ministry’s attempts to magically expand the train by adding another floor, there were still way too few seats, meaning Yamaguchi and Tsukki were crushed together by a huge American witch who kept bursting into obnoxious gales of laughter. For some reason, however, having his body pressed up against Tsukki’s wasn’t the worst thing Yamaguchi could have imagined.

 

“Is your mum not coming? She got the tickets after all.” Yamaguchi asked over the noise of the witch’s laughter.

 

Tsukki frowned.

 

“No. She has lots of catching up at work after our holiday. Even though she was sending owls off to her office every five minutes the whole time.” Tsukki’s voice was bitter, and Yamaguchi sensed that it was time for a change in subject.

 

“So, you saw loads of dragons, huh?”

 

Tsukki visibly brightened. If there was one thing the Slytherin would talk about, it was dragons.

 

After a long train ride and a tiring walk they began to reach the outskirts of the fields where witches and wizards had been camping in their thousands. They were immediately swarmed by vendors waving their wares. Yamaguchi was glad that he had had the sense to stop at Gringots to swap his Muggle money to wizard – almost all his savings from his summer job, but it was worth it. Tsukki watched in amusement as Yamaguchi squandered his money on tiny flying model broomsticks and figurines of the Irish team that walked up and down the palm of his hand.

 

“You’re not even _Irish_.” Tsukki grumbled.

 

“Lighten up, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi chuckled, offering him a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.

 

Tsukki rolled his eyes but nonetheless accepted the sweet, coughing violently when he discovered that it was pepper.

 

However, even Tsukki couldn’t keep down excitement for long as the pair were swept up in the festive atmosphere. They found their seats quickly which, despite Tsukki’s worries, had an excellent view of the pitch.

 

Yamaguchi was especially glad of this when the teams brought out their mascots. The Bulgarian team were first, with a squad of beautiful Veela who danced and sang to the crowd. Although Yamaguchi could appreciate their beauty and strange aura, he didn’t seem to share the mad fervour of the other men in the stadium, who howled in protest when their act ended.

 

“I don’t see what the fuss is.” Tsukki grumbled. “They’re not that special.”

 

“I think there was some kind of magic in their singing.” Yamaguchi popped a few beans into his mouth without bothering to check the flavours. The resulting taste was a bizarre mix of cherry and parsley. “Funny we weren’t affected much, huh.”

 

Yamaguchi didn’t notice Tsukki’s gaze turn momentarily to him, too busy watching for the Irish mascots which were about to make their entry. His attention only turned back to Tsukki when one of the Leprechauns managed to throw a coin right at his head, catching Tsukki’s glasses with a clatter.

 

All in all, the match had been brilliant – Yamaguchi had shouted himself hoarse, and Tsukki had watched with an amused smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

 

At the end of the match, surrounded by ecstatic Irish fans who ceaselessly shot sparks into the air from their wands while shouting and cheering, they made their way back to the train station on aching legs.

 

“The train’s cancelled?” Tsukki said, aghast.

 

“’Fraid so.” The tiny wizard at the ticket booth scratched the back of his head with his wand.

 

“Why? I would have thought it would have been a priority, what with all the people-”

 

“Technical difficulties.”

 

“Meaning?”

 

“The idiot driving the train forgot we’d added another floor to it. He tried to drive through a tunnel, and things got a little… _smashy_ , shall we say. I’m afraid you’ll have to find somewhere to sleep until tomorrow.”

 

Tsukki scowled fiercely, but there was nothing either of them could do except return to the campsite and see if anyone would put them up for the night. Fortunately, there were a few others in the same position, with a harassed-looking Ministry official trying to allocate people to tents with space.

 

Much to Yamaguchi’s pleasure and Tsukki’s irritation, they ended up in a tent with a group of Hogwarts students.

 

More specifically, half the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

 

“And then he was like GWUUUUH and BAHM!” Yelled Hinata, gesturing so wildly he toppled over backwards, landing on top of Tsukki. “The players were all sooooo cool!”

 

“Tanaka!” Noya, the tiny Gryffindor Keeper, roared. “The beauty of the Veela was second only to that of the Goddess Kiyoko!”

 

“They were amazing!” Tanaka looked as though he was on the verge of tears. “Do you think they’d be into a guy like me?”

 

“Bro, who WOULDN’T be?”

 

“BRO!”   


“BRO!”

 

“WILL YOU LOT _PLEASE_ SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP? _”_ Daichi, the group’s apparent leader, bellowed at last.

 

Judging by Tsukki’s expression, he agreed with the Sixth year’s words entirely.     

 

When even Hinata, who was jumping around as though he had eaten half of Honeydukes’ stock for the year, had at last quietened down, Yamaguchi was able to at last drift off into sleep, his tiny model Firebolt still whizzing around above his head.  

 

When he next awoke, the first thing he noticed was the smell of burning, along with panicked shouts from outside.

 

“Out. Everyone out now!” Daichi was shaking the occupants of the tent awake, keeping his voice steady despite the chaos that was unfolding.

 

Yamaguchi stumbled barefoot across the field in the dark, his hand clenched in Tsukki’s.

 

Behind them, witches and wizards were running back and forth in panic, and a group in black robes could be seen some distance away. Tsukki’s face went white at the sight of them.

 

“Don’t look back, just keep moving.” He hissed, pulling Yamaguchi forwards as a particularly high-pitched scream was heard.

 

Eventually they made it past the treeline until the sounds of the campsite had faded at last.

 

They quickly found the rest of their tent again. Hinata was hopping nervously from foot to foot while Tanaka and Noya were pacing in agitation.

 

“Where did you two go?” Daichi thundered. Yamaguchi was amazed at how quickly he seemed to have decided the pair were his responsibility.

 

Tsukki shrugged.

 

“We got lost.”

 

“For God’s sake, you need to be more careful! Especially you, Yamaguchi…” His voice trailed off.

 

“What? Why me?” Yamaguchi asked, feeling his heart beat a little faster.

 

“Because those bastards are targeting Muggle-borns out there!” Tanaka growled, looking as though he was going to snap his wand in half with the strength of his grip if he wasn’t calmed down sharpish. “They nearly hit Hinata-”

 

“But they ain’t getting near him again! Me ‘n’ Ryu are his bodyguards now!” Noya puffed his chest out, hi-fiving Tanaka. “Nothing gets past us.”

 

Tsukki then muttered something inaudible and probably quite insulting. He shifted imperceptibly so that he was standing a little closer to Yamaguchi.

 

Somewhere out of sight, a twig snapped. Within a second every wand was pointed in the direction of the source.

 

Daichi’s was the first to lower.

 

“Suga?!”

 

“Daichi, is that you?”

 

Within moments the two boys were running towards each other, laughing joyfully.

 

“Who is that?” Yamaguchi whispered as the silver-haired man punched Daichi in the stomach by way of greeting.

 

Tsukki shrugged. Daichi and Suga’s reunion was cut off by a terrified shout from Hinata.

 

He seemed too frozen with horror to speak, but he did manage to gesture in the direction of the sky. The group turned to see a giant green skull in the sky entwined with a snake.

 

Suga gasped something in a language that didn’t sound like English.

 

“Everyone, move. Back that way.” Daichi sprang into action.

 

“But that’s back towards the campsite-”

 

“Just MOVE IT!”

 

The group fled.

 

It was in the early hours of the next morning that Tsukki and Yamaguchi were informed that their train was up and running again. Yamaguchi wasn’t sorry to see the last of the campsite which was now blemished with wrecked tents and small fires that were yet to be put out.

 

He wanted quite desperately to ask exactly what the mark in the sky meant – he knew it was in some way liked to you-know-who, but beyond that he knew nothing. But there was something in Tsukki’s expression that told him that now was not the time for questions.

 

They returned to Hogwarts a few weeks later with a sense of foreboding in the air.

 

However, this tense atmosphere was soon dispelled by the announcements of the Triwizard Tournament, and the arrival of students from other wizarding schools.

 

Tsukki held onto his usual attitude of disinterest. However, this was quickly abandoned when he found that the first event was to feature dragons.

 

Yamaguchi had watched a lot of that challenge through his fingers.

 

He by far preferred the amusing scene of Tsukki wearing formal clothes for the Yule Ball.

 

At first he had been more than a little anxious about the whole ordeal – he would have to get his hands on some formal robes, and then there was the matter of having to dance in front of half the school… and he hadn’t even _started_ to think about who he was supposed to go with.

 

“Have you asked someone to the Ball yet, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked. He had noticed more than a couple girls coming up to Tsukki over the last few days with flushed expressions, but all had left at the end of the conversation with disappointed expressions. He could only presume that Tsukki had turned them all down because he had already found someone. But who? Yamaguchi couldn’t hold back his curiosity if he tried. Yamaguchi was pretty much the only person Tsukki hung out with, aside from perhaps some of his Quidditch team.  He was sure there was no other reason he was so desperate to know. It certainly had nothing to do with the tight, unpleasant feeling Yamaguchi got in the pit of his stomach when he thought about Tsukki going to the ball with some unknown stranger.

 

“I’m not going with anyone.” The Slytherin replied bluntly.

 

“O-Oh. Okay.” Yamaguchi was silenced by his answer. It made sense. Tsukki really wasn’t a people person. “That makes two of us, then.”

 

Tsukki’s head jerked up, his eyes meeting Yamaguchi’s. There was something in his eyes that Yamaguchi couldn’t quite identify.

 

“Oh.” Tsukki said quietly. Yamaguchi felt his face going irritatingly red. He hoped Tsukki wasn’t pitying him for being so hopelessly unable to get a date. After a pause, Tsukki continued.

 

“We could meet up, then. If neither of us are going with other people…”

 

Yamaguchi brightened immediately.

 

“Yeah! Yeah, sounds good!”

 

Yamaguchi wasn’t sure why the idea made him feel quite so cheerful, or why there were so many butterflies in his stomach, but he was now looking forward to the Ball a lot more than he had before.

 

“I don’t suppose you’re a fan of dancing, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi took in the beautiful decorations that lit up the hall.

 

The Slytherin grunted an affirmation.

 

Yamaguchi chuckled.

 

“Never mind. It’s fun just watching.”    

 

The pair stood and watched as couples twirled and swayed across the floor. Yamaguchi snorted as he caught sight of Hinata and Kageyama bickering fiercely as they stumbled out of time with the music, stepping on each other’s feet and nearly falling at every step. It didn’t help that Hinata’s robes were so big on him that they were creating yet another trip hazard.

 

“I guess those two didn’t find partners either.”

 

Yamaguchi’s skin prickled as he felt Tsukki’s steady gaze upon him.

 

“Yes, they did.” Tsukki said, in the tone of voice one would use to say the sky is blue or transfiguration is hard.

 

“Wh-” The knut dropped. “Oh- OH. I see.” Suddenly, looking at the squabbling duo, a few other things in Yamaguchi’s life began to make a lot more sense.

 

Tsukki’s gaze didn’t shift from Yamaguchi’s face.

 

“Does it bother you?”

 

“No! No, of course not…” Yamaguchi trailed off. “Why, does it bo-”

 

“No.”

 

“Ah.” The pair’s eyes returned to Hinata and Kageyama, who were now closer to wrestling than dancing. “Good.”

 

Tsukki’s eyes snapped back to Yamaguchi.

 

“Good?”

 

Yamaguchi blushed, and Tsukki raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh. I see.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “That’s…good.”

 

“Good?”

 

It was Tsukki’s turn to blush, and Yamaguchi began to smile, suddenly understanding why Tsukki had turned down all those girls.

 

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

 

“Ok, Tsukki!”

 

Something in their relationship shifted after that. It was as though an invisible barrier had lifted, and although they had been best friends for years, it was now something more intimate, a kind of mutual trust and understanding that sprung from the simplest shared secret. The pair enjoyed the remaining two events of the tournament together – or at least, they did until it all went wrong.

 

Yamaguchi watched with watering eyes as the Hogwarts drapes turned black to mourn the loss of a student. He felt his lungs closing up as he remembered seeing the captain of his Quidditch team appearing dead on the grass.

 

The fun of the Triwizard Tournament became sour so quickly, and now not only was a student dead… but supposedly the terrifying wizard who had nearly taken over the world had returned from the dead. Yamaguchi had only heard stories of the “Dark Lord”, and although he hadn’t been raised on them like other students, he was still terrified.

 

“…he used to kill Muggles and Muggle-borns all the time, just for fun!” Yamaguchi murmured to Tsukki as they watched the sun setting over the lake. “They say he was so powerful…so evil…to think that someone like that could have returned…” Yamaguchi looked down to see that his hands were trembling in his lap, remembering the scenes he had seen at the Quidditch World Cup. He bit back a sob.

 

Tsukki said nothing for a few moments, the glittering lake reflected in his eyes.

 

“I…” He coughed. “Whatever happens in the future…I won’t let him hurt you. I won’t let anyone. I promise.”

 

“T-Tsukki…” Yamaguchi stuttered, feeling his eyes tearing up for the second time that day. He reached his hand out and quickly found Tsukki’s fingers clasping his.

 

“Always. I promise.” It was one of the few occasions that Yamaguchi heard emotion in a voice normally so careful to hide it.

 

Yamaguchi turned to meet Tsukki’s eyes and found a warmth that had melted through the ice. A warmth that Yamaguchi had thought Tsukki would never return. But there it was.

 

When Tsukki’s lips met Yamaguchi’s, it was an entirely new experience for Yamaguchi, yet it didn’t feel like it. It felt familiar. It felt like home.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was all set to post this chapter first thing this morning but then I sat down at my computer and looked and it and thought naaaah. So, here it is now, about 2k longer than expected because I couldn't not write the Quidditch Cup.  
> Can you tell I'm planning out a Daisuga fic set parallel to this one? Because that is definitely what I'm setting up for myself here. I could probably do a Kagehina one too. Good lord, what am I getting myself into?  
> Anyways, thanks for the read, I'm always looking for feedback!


	6. Fifth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reign of Umbridge & Dumbledore's Army

**Fifth Year**

OWLs, Yamaguchi decided quickly, _really_ sucked.

 

It didn’t help that this year’s Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was _awful_.

 

Tsukki hadn’t said much, but Yamaguchi could tell he agreed. He wasn’t stupid enough to speak out in class like some of the Gryffindors had supposedly done – but the name _Umbrige_ was enough to provoke a scowl.

 

It didn’t help that she seemed to view Tsukki as one of her better students.

 

“Hello, Tsukishima.” She gave him a sickly sweet grin as the pair passed her in the corridor one morning. “Congratulations on your mother’s promotion! Your parents and I worked quite closely at the ministry, I do hope you might follow in their footsteps one day…?”

 

Tsukki didn’t reply, stone-faced.

 

“Of course,” she let out a forced chuckle. “You may have to reconsider the, ah, company you keep, if you were to have such aspirations.”

 

Yamaguchi noticed her eyes sweep briefly over him, and he shuddered.

 

Once more Tsukki didn’t reply, instead grabbing Yamaguchi’s hand and pulling him on down the corridor.

 

“Bitch.” He spat as soon as they were out of hearing.

 

Yamaguchi raised his eyebrows. He rarely heard Tsukki speak so passionately about anyone.

 

“Its fine, Tsukki, sometimes people just treat me like that, there’s nothing you can do-”

 

Tsukki stopped in the corridor, facing him.

 

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

 

Tsukki’s grip on his hand tightened a little. Yamaguchi squeezed it in return.

 

The pair continued on down the corridor, Tsukki’s face still screwed up in irritation.

 

“She’s only being nice to me because of my family’s influence.”

 

Yamaguchi shrugged.

 

“There’s nothing we can do about that.”

 

Tsukki tutted.

 

“Don’t you ever get fed up of being so helpless all the time?”

 

“I’m not helpless. Not completely. I just…pick my battles.”

 

“Huh.” Tsukki scanned him thoughtfully, with eyes that showed a hint of surprise, or even… admiration?

 

“I never really thought about it like that.”

 

Yamaguchi nodded.

 

“We just have to wait. Find the right battle. And then we can do something about it.”

 

It wasn’t long before the right opportunity presented itself.

 

“Yamaguchi.”

 

“Yes?” Yamaguchi turned to face the Captain of Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Asahi had initially scared the hell out of him, but it wasn’t long before he discovered that the giant seventh-year was as dangerous as a pygmy puff. He had also helped Yamaguchi with his homework a couple times over the term, so Yamaguchi considered him a friend.

 

“Can you hang back a moment? I just want to talk to you about a couple techniques.”

 

“Sure.” Yamaguchi wondered for a panic-stricken moment if he had made too many mistakes in their practice, and Asahi was about to lecture him out of hearing of the rest of the team.

 

But that didn’t seem right – there was something tense in Asahi’s posture, and something nervous about his glance to check that the changing room was truly empty.

 

“What do you think about Umbrige?”

 

Ok. Yamaguchi hadn’t been expecting that. Recently voicing opinions had become more than dangerous around school, but a glance into Asahi’s gentle eyes told him he could speak in confidence.

 

“She’s awful. We aren’t learning _anything.”_

Asahi nodded.

 

“Keep this quiet.” Asahi placed a hand on his shoulder conspiratorially. “But there are others who agree. A club, you might say. A study club. Interested in joining?”

 

Yamaguchi’s breath caught in his throat. It sounded dangerous. Certainly against school rules. Bound to get him into trouble.

 

But then again, if glass-hearted Asahi was involved, it couldn’t be _that_ bad. Probably just a few irritated students practicing spells in their spare time in a small act of rebellion.

 

And he _did_ need help with DADA. He had exams, after all.

 

“I’m in.”

 

Asahi clapped him on the shoulder, smiling.

 

“Seventh floor left corridor, tomorrow after lessons. See you there.”

 

Asahi turned for the door when Yamaguchi thought to ask a question.

 

“Can I bring my friend?”

 

Doubt crossed Asahi’s face.

 

“Only if you’re sure you can trust him.” He answered at last.

 

“Oh! Yes, of course I can.” Yamaguchi beamed.

 

Asahi nodded and smiled in return.

 

“That’s fine, then. I trust you and your judgement, Yamaguchi. If he’s a friend of yours, then he must be alright.”

 

Yamaguchi laughed weakly, making a mental note to have a talk with Tsukki about manners before bringing him.

 

It only occurred to him later that Tsukki might need some persuading to do anything that would involve hanging out with other students.

 

“Look at this.” Tsukki gestured to the newest addition to the collection of _Educational Degrees_ that swarmed the outside wall of the Great Hall. “This has to be the best one yet.”

 

“Educational Degree Number Twenty-Six. Boys and girls are not permitted to be within six inches of each other.” Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow.

 

“She probably walked in on some idiots messing around in that broom closet on the second floor.”

 

Yamaguchi chuckled.

 

“Thank God it wasn’t Kageyama and Hinata. Otherwise she might have thought to ban contact between boys, too.”

 

Tsukki snorted in agreement.

 

“Good job Umbrige is too stupid to think of _that_.”

 

“Actually, while we’re on the subject of Umbridge…” Yamaguchi recounted his conversation with Asahi.

 

Tsukki listened, one eyebrow raised. Yamaguchi noticed a spark of interest begin to glow in his eyes. Most people thought Tsukki never got fired up about anything, but they were wrong. They just couldn’t recognise the signs.

 

“What do you think?”

 

 Tsukki was silent for a few moments.

 

“You should join, if you want to. It’s important to be able to defend yourself.” He said at last.

 

“But I invited you, too!”

 

“If they wanted me there, they would have asked.”

 

Yamaguchi frowned.

 

“But _I_ asked.”

 

“You don’t get it.” Tsukki scowled. “These guys are an anti-Umbrige group. Umbrige has half of Slytherin in her pocket, there’s no way they’ll trust me-”

 

Yamaguchi silenced him with a peck to the cheek.

 

“I trust you. So they will too.”

 

Tsukki flushed red.

 

“Please?” Yamaguchi fluttered his eyelashes in an exaggerated puppy-dog look. “Pretty pretty please?”

 

“F-fine.” Tsukki grumbled, refusing to make eye contact as his blush worsened. “I’ll come.”

 

Yamaguchi beamed as he began filling Tsukki in on the details of place and time, pleased at the effectiveness of his persuasion tactics.

 

They didn’t hold hands as they wandered the corridors often, because the risk of running into students who would make life difficult was high. When they followed a tiny Gryffindor whom Yamaguchi recognised as Nishinoya into the Room of Requirement, he found his hand instead gripping onto Tsukki’s robe to assure himself the other was there.

 

The room went quiet upon their entry.

 

“Asahi.” Tanaka glared in their direction. “You didn’t say you had invited…” He trailed off, nodding in Tsukki’s direction. Tsukki scowled.

 

“I didn’t know!” Asahi looked panic-stricken.

 

Tsukki cleared his throat.

 

“If I’m not wanted, I’ll leave.”

 

“No!” Yamaguchi’s grip on Tsukki tightened. “We can trust him, Asahi.”

 

The few occupants of the room looked at each other, before shrugging, and no more was said about it.

 

As the room began to fill with students of all years and houses – Slytherin being the glaring exception – Tsukki attracted more than a couple glances. But Yamaguchi stood beside him, glaring fiercely at anyone whose gaze lingered too long.

 

“This is why I didn’t want to come.” Tsukki murmured beside him.

 

 “And it’s exactly why you should. I know better than anyone that being judged for what you can’t control stinks. I said there’s nothing you can do about the way people can treat others, well maybe I was wrong. Maybe this is a start.”

 

Tsukki looked as if he was about to reply, but he was cut off as a hush descended over the hall. The first of many lessons was beginning.

 

It took a few meetings for the hostile glares to calm down, but it was significantly aided when Daichi started turning up to meetings with another Slytherin, a silver-haired man with a beauty spot by his eye and a disarming smile, whom Yamaguchi vaguely remembered from the Quidditch World Cup. He was the polar opposite of Tsukki, with a friendly, open personality that allowed him to be quickly absorbed into the group. It was pretty obvious why he had been invited from the way his Gryffindor friend looked at him.

 

“It’s absolutely sickening.”

 

“I know you think Kageyama and Hinata are annoying, Tsukki. You’ve only been complaining about them since forever.” Yamaguchi shot a disarming spell which missed Tsukki by a few meters.

 

“I didn’t mean those idiots. I meant those two over there.” Tsukki nodded to where Daichi and Suga stood a little away from the rest. Daichi seemed to be explaining a complex movement to Suga, as he had the smaller man in his arms, showing him which way to move his body as he cast each hex.

 

“Oh.” Yamaguchi watched as Daichi whispered something into Suga’s ear, making him chuckle. “They’re kinda cute, actually.”

 

Tsukki wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Yamaguchi laughed.

 

That was when the third and only other Slytherin member to join the group sent a stunning spell into Yamaguchi’s back, knocking him off his feet.

 

“Hey!” Tsukki yelled across the room at Kageyama, who was blushing furiously.

 

“Sorry!”  Hinata butted in. “He was aiming for me, but he missed by, like, a gazillion miles because he’s such a dumbass!”

  

“Am not!”

 

The pair dissolved into bickering, leaving Yamaguchi to climb back to his feet.

 

“I’m fine. I don’t think it worked completely, I wasn’t even knocked out.” He replied to Tsukki’s concerned gaze.

 

“Hmm.” Tsukki scowled across the room at Kageyama, who was now shooting more hexes with increased fervour at Hinata. It now looked closer to a duel than practice.

 

“Tsukki.” Yamaguchi caught the other’s face in his hands. “Forget about it, ok?”

 

“Fine.” Tsukki sighed at last.

 

The other group members quickly stopped hating Tsukki for being a Slytherin. That was good. Instead they started hating him for being an asshole, which was… not so good.

 

“It doesn’t bother me.” Was Tsukki’s only response to a particularly eventful lesson in which Noya had to be restrained. Tsukki had asked if there was any dwarf blood in his family.

 

Provocative comments such as that meant that even Kageyama was more popular than Tsukki.

 

But Tsukki wasn’t bothered, and so Yamaguchi wasn’t either. He got to spend time with Tsukki and practice spells which would perhaps save his life in the future. Tsukki being unable to work with others was nothing new, and any tensions he caused with other students were worth the skills they were learning.

 

Yamaguchi got to know more students from outside his house – in addition to Daichi, Suga, Kageyama, Hinata, Asahi, Tanaka and Nishinoya, all of whom Yamaguchi had already known to varying degrees, there was also a quiet Ravenclaw girl, Kiyoko, who Yamaguchi couldn’t pretend not to be intimidated by. She was almost inseparable from her tiny Hufflepuff friend Yachi, with whom Yamaguchi shared several classes. There were other members, of course, but they were the ones Yamaguchi worked with the most aside from Tsukki. Their little clique within the club began to feel almost like a family, as they relied upon each other for help and support even outside the walls of the Room of Requirement.

 

It was a lesson like any other when disaster struck.

 

Yamaguchi had been near the back, unable to see or hear the warnings. But he did hear the yell that followed:

 

“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN!”

 

It could only mean one thing. They had been discovered.

 

His feet obeyed before his mind had a chance to catch up, diving through the doors with the others and sprinting away, to the Owlery, to the library, to anywhere.

 

Suddenly his feet snapped together and he tumbled face first onto the floor, pain exploding in his nose. He heard a burst of laughter from further up the corridor. Of course – a trip jinx.

 

The laughter was suddenly cut off with a squawk. The next thing he knew a pair of familiar arms were wrapping around him.

 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi gasped as the other pulled him to his feet.

 

“Shut up and run!”

 

Yamaguchi obeyed.

 

They turned a few corners before Tsukki pulled the pair into a dark cupboard.

 

“Are you ok?” Tsukki panted.

 

“I’m fine.” Yamaguchi rubbed at his nose, and felt the damp of blood. “Although I think my nose might be broken.”

 

“Hold still.”

 

Yamaguchi obeyed, and his breath hitched as he felt Tsukki’s fingers gently probing his face. He tried not to wince when Tsukki touched the bridge of his nose.

 

“D-definitely broken!”

 

Tsukki tutted and removed his right hand.

 

“ _Episkey_ ” There was a flash of light from Tsukki’s wand and the pain in Yamaguchi’s nose vanished.

 

“Th-thanks, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi stammered, aware that one of Tsukki’s hands still rested on his face.

 

When Tsukki’s thumb stroked across his cheek, he almost stopped breathing altogether. Yamaguchi leaned forwards, his hands bunching up in Tsukki’s robes.

 

He couldn’t see Tsukki’s face in the dark, but Yamaguchi did hear a tiny gasp when he stood on his tiptoes to press their lips together.

 

“Do you think it’s safe to go yet?” Yamaguchi whispered against his skin.

 

“Yeah.” Tsukki murmured, and Yamaguchi moved towards the door.

 

“Actually” Tsukki grabbed his arm. “Wait five more seconds.”

 

“Why, did you hear someth-” Yamaguchi was cut off when Tsukki pressed his lips against Yamaguchi’s in return. When Tsukki drew back, Yamaguchi could feel the heat of a blush on the other’s skin.

 

Yamaguchi chuckled.

 

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

 

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

 

They quickly found a few other members in the library, conversing intently around a table in hushed voices.

 

“…someone must’ve ratted us out…” Tanaka scowled across the table which he was struggling to sit at due to what looked like a knee-reversal hex.

 

“Hey, guys.” Yamaguchi pulled a chair up to the table, and Tsukki copied the motion. “What happened? Did everyone get away?”

 

“Nobody knows.” Noya eyed Tsukki fiercely. “ _Someone_ must have snitched.”

 

“And you’re looking at me _why?_ ” Tsukki snarled.

 

“I think you _know_ why.”

 

“I can assure you I don’t.”

 

“Now, now.” Suga held his arms out calmingly. “We have no way of knowing what happened yet. We should wait until we’ve had time to regroup before we send accusations flying.” He directed his last comment in Noya’s direction with a frown.

 

Noya grumbled and crossed his arms.

 

Beside him, Asahi gripped the sides of his head, still feeling the after-effects of a twitchy-ears hex. 

 

The group quickly disbanded, unwilling to attract any more attention than was necessary. If there was to be any news, it would come later, which it did.

 

It quickly spread around the school that, shortly after their lesson was disrupted, the headmaster had gone on the run having fought off numerous ministry officials. The story was pretty garbled, but the most important detail for Yamaguchi was that the person responsible for telling Umbrige about the group was most definitely _not_ Tsukki (not that he had thought so for even a moment) and everyone knew it.

 

It was from that point on that school started getting really crazy. Which, considering it was a magic school populated by witches, wizards, ghosts and elves, was saying something.

 

“We’re never going to pass out exams at this rate.” Yamaguchi sighed as a firework bounced down the hall, singeing the bottom of his robe.

 

Tsukki sighed, fidgeting with the silver _I_ on his uniform.

 

Sensing Tsukki was not in the best mood, Yamaguchi quickly changed topic.

 

“Are you coming down to the pitch with me for some Quidditch practice later?”

 

“No.”

 

“Oh.” Yamaguchi’s heart dropped to his stomach. Tsukki sounded _angry_.

 

“I would if I could.” Tsukki grumbled. “They’re making Inquisitorial Squad members go to a stupid meeting.”

 

“Tsukki… if you hate it so much, why are you a member? I thought it was voluntary.”

 

Tsukki scowled.

 

“Yeah, well. In theory. Obviously I couldn’t care less about Umbrige and her ministry crap but I got a very… _encouraging_ owl from my parents. So Idiot-Squad it is.”

 

Yamaguchi was silent. Tsukki getting a letter from his parents… he couldn’t remember it happening before.

 

“You don’t have to do something just because your parents tell you to.”

 

Tsukki’s laugh was harsh and bitter.

 

“Yeah, right. Sure thing, Yamaguchi.”

 

The end of the school year was no calmer.

 

HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS

 

The words covered almost the entire front page of the Daily Prophet, screaming out at Yamaguchi. He shivered as his eyes scanned the article, taking little in. He knew a lot of it already, having heard it from the Quibbler and from around school – but still there had been the tiniest part of him hoping it was all untrue. But now the papers had admitted to it. There was no escaping the facts any longer.

 

Tsukki dropped his cloak over Yamaguchi’s trembling shoulders before taking a seat on the grass beside him.

 

“Stop looking so worried.” Free of the Inquisitorial Squad badge that had weighed on his robes, Tsukki’s mood seemed improved despite the turmoil of the wider world.

 

Yamaguchi clenched his fists.

 

“It’s not that easy.”

 

Tsukki shuffled a little closer until their shoulders rubbed together.

 

“Things are probably going to start changing a lot faster now.” Tsukki pushed his glasses up his nose.

 

“Why do you say that?” Yamaguchi watched the other intently.

 

Tsukki frowned at the floor.

 

“I just do.”

 

Yamaguchi sensed that there was something Tsukki wasn’t telling him, but he decided not to push it.

 

One day he would, but not yet.

 

For now, he was going to enjoy the peace while it lasted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter doesn't feel like my best one. -_-  
> Heads up: things are going to get intense over the next chap or two. You have been warned!  
> As always, thanks for reading ^_^


	7. Sixth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slytherins, the Slug Club and a funeral.

**Sixth Year**

Yamaguchi wandered along the train corridor, nervously searching for Tsukki in a sea of faces. His worry began to grow as he found himself unable to find his friend in any carriage.

 

Not being able to find Tsukki wasn’t his only reason for worrying, considering the kinds of things the Prohpet had been filled with all summer. Battles within the ministry, pamphlets about self-protection, articles on a tough new Minister for Magic and vigorous safety measures against Death Eater attacks were just a few of the topics that left a heavy sense of dread hanging over Yamaguchi’s head. Worst of all, Tsukki’s letters had become irregular, clearly written in a hurry judging by the unusually messy handwriting. They were also far more concise, steering away from details about Tsukki’s home life or activities and instead focusing on trivialities like Quidditch scores or even just the _weather_. Yamaguchi didn’t know what to make of it all.

 

When he found Tsukki at last, his jaw dropped. Sure, his friend had been tall before, but now he was a _giant_. Yet at the same time he seemed to have lost weight, with his skin clinging tautly to his bones. Even his facial structure had changed, with his cheekbones becoming sharper and more prominent. He didn’t look like the awkward teen Yamaguchi had said goodbye to months before – he looked like an adult.

 

He was also surrounded by other Slytherins.

 

That was pretty odd, yet not enough to stop Yamaguchi from bouncing up to the group.

 

“Hey, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi grinned. A couple of the Slytherins tittered.

 

“Oh. Hey, Yamaguchi.” His voice was expressionless, as though he had forgotten the fact that the pair hadn’t seen each other in months. Then again, it wasn’t unusual for Tsukki to be distant, especially when others were around.

 

“Do you want to find a compartment? I think there might still be one somewhere…” He trailed off when he heard a snort from one of the other students.

 

“Nice pet, Tsukishima! Does it come when it’s called?”

 

Tsukki sent the speaker a look cooler than ice, before turning back to Yamaguchi.

 

“The new teacher has invited me to a dinner. Sorry.”

 

He turned back to the group.

 

“Oh. Ok, s-see you.” Yamaguchi retreated back down the corridor, unsure of what to think.

 

He quickly found some of his friends from DA - those who hadn’t graduated the previous year - in one of the other carriages, and spent the rest of the train journey listening to Tanaka, Noya and Hinata boasting about how sure they were that Gryffindor would win the Quidditch cup the coming year.

 

He caught up with Tsukki as they passed through the new security measures.

 

“Uh. Hey…” Yamaguchi began awkwardly. “How was your meal?”

 

Tsukki shrugged.

 

“Just people sucking up to me to get close to my family. The usual.”

 

“Oh. And, uh… what happened to your…new friends?”

 

Tsukki sighed.

 

“I wouldn’t call them friends.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“My parents had a lot of visitors over summer. Some of them brought their kids with them.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I know. They’re awful.” Tsukki sighed again. “But my parents want me to start making _connections_ and shit. So I’ll have to put up with them.”

 

He looked down at Yamaguchi.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“You don’t have to apologise for their behaviour.”

 

“I wasn’t.”

 

Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukki, who pushed his glasses up his nose.

 

“I’m not going to be able to be with you as much this year. Between that lot, this “Slug Club” thing, and NEWTS… so, sorry.” He looked genuinely remorseful, and Yamaguchi’s heart ached.

 

“Oh.” Yamaguchi bit back disappointment. “It’s ok. I-I get it.”

 

Of course; he couldn’t have expected things to stay the same forever, with the pair of them in their little bubble outside of the prejudices of class, of house, of blood. They were inherently different, as were their paths in life. It was beginning to show.

 

“So apart from the visitors, how was your summer?” Yamaguchi doubted his change in conversation was sly, but if it lightened the mood it was worth it.

 

Tsukki wrinkled his nose.

 

“Everything’s so tense at the moment.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Tsukki stared at Yamaguchi for a moment.

 

“Oh, right. You live in a little muggle village in the country. You wouldn’t know.”

 

“Know what? I do read the newspapers, I’m not completely out of the loop.”

 

Tsukki shrugged.

 

“Not the same.”

 

“What do you mean?!”

 

“There’s a lot of stuff going on that doesn’t get into the papers.”

 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi nudged him. “Stop being so mysterious.”

 

Tsukki sighed, and Yamaguchi wondered if this was a new habit or if the Slytherin was just tired.

 

“There’s a lot of tension in the ministry… nobody trusts anyone.” A dark look entered his eyes. “I don’t think a lot of people realise how much power you-know-who has, or how many families he’s turned-” Tsukki cut himself off, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

“And if that wasn’t enough, the Dementors have put everyone in a bad mood. They’ve been swarming London all summer, breeding, causing all these bad feelings…”

 

The pair were trailing a little behind the other students. Yamaguchi caught Tsukki’s hand in his.

 

“Are…are you ok?” His eye’s searched Tsukki’s, remembering the effect Dementors had on him. Maybe that was the reason behind the new pallor in Tsukki’s skin, and the gloomy air that followed him.

 

“I’m fine.” Tsukki answered flatly.

 

Yamaguchi wasn’t a genius at reading people, yet in that moment he knew with absolute certainty that he was being lied to.

 

“Ok, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi sighed. Maybe the return to Hogwarts would snap him out of… whatever this was.

 

Yamaguchi’s OWL results, although less than impressive, allowed him to continue studying the subjects he wanted to. He was disappointed to find that he shared fewer lessons with Tsukki than in previous years.

 

A subject they did continue to share was potions. But when Tsukki ambled into the classroom, he took a seat at the table which was occupied solely by Slytherins, sending a small apologetic shrug in his direction.

 

Yamaguchi tried to distract himself by quickly absorbing himself in the lesson, which was surprisingly interesting. It helped that they no longer had a terrifying teacher, but instead one that seemed both harmless and genuinely interested in the subject. He had a potion bubbling away on each table, and Yamaguchi found his attention caught by the one in front of him, which gave off spirals of smoke and a pearly sheen. He breathed in deeply, and caught the scent of salty ocean waters, of lemonade, and… something else that was very familiar and made Yamaguchi’s gut twist.

 

“…the most powerful love potion in the world…” chattered a student excitedly, but Yamaguchi found it hard to concentrate as he drifted away on the scent. A lazy smile snuck across his face, and for the rest of the lesson he felt oddly distracted.

 

It didn’t help that he kept catching sight of Tsukki in his peripheral vision, and Yamaguchi had the feeling that the Slytherin was watching him as well.

 

It was frustrating, not being able to hang out with Tsukki as much, but it was made up for in the time they could have together.

 

They watched the stars from the top of the astronomy tower, with Yamaguchi’s head resting in Tsukki’s lap. Yamaguchi sighed contentedly as he felt Tsukki’s fingers running slowly through his hair.

 

“How’s Slug Club?” He murmured into the warm fabric of Tsukki’s robes.

 

“Dull as ever.” Tsukki twirled a strand of Yamaguchi’s hair between his fingers. “Although he’s having a Christmas Party. Could be interesting.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Well. We’re allowed to invite someone along if we want to. So… you could come?”

 

“Not worried about ruining your connections, huh?”

 

Tsukki’s hand came to a stop.

 

“You know I don’t like those idiots any more than you do.”

 

“Then why do you hang out with them? Just because your parents want you to-” His voice died when he felt Tsukki’s hand clench in his hair.

 

“I…I can’t expect you to understand.”

 

Yamaguchi reached up to catch Tsukki’s clenched fist in his hand, pulling it down until he could hold it against his chest.

 

“You can tell me anything, Tsukki. You know that, right?”

 

When Tsukki spoke again, it was in a hoarse voice.

 

“I know.”

 

Yamaguchi had the feeling that he didn’t.

 

 Although neither of them had said anything about it, Yamaguchi couldn’t help but notice that lately their meetings had become restricted to the quietest places where they would not be observed together. It could be due only to Tsukki’s new clique – it would be difficult to explain to the more venomous members Tsukki’s reasons for spending time with a supposedly Muggle-born Hufflepuff, after all. Although he knew it wasn’t what Tsukki wanted at all, and although he knew Tsukki wasn’t ashamed to be seen with him, he couldn’t help but struggle with the bitterness that left an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He was simply fed up of having to adjust his life to fit around the bigots that Tsukki was forced to befriend.

 

Their newly-developed secrecy mean that attending Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party with Tsukki felt like a far bigger deal than it really was.

 

When he caught sight of Tsukki at their arranged meeting place to walk there together, he was surprised for a moment by the Slytherin’s expensive new jet-black dress robes. Then he remembered that, of course, Tsukki would no longer fit what he had worn to the Yule Ball a couple years back. These robes had clearly been tailored specially to fit Tsukki, as they showed off the new broadness of his shoulders, and hid the worryingly thin body beneath. Yamaguchi felt comparatively shabby in the second-hand robes he had found on sale. But when Tsukki saw him, he smiled, and Yamaguchi’s worries vanished.

 

“I hear there’s going to be a vampire.” He said conversationally as they made their way to the teacher’s office.

 

Yamaguchi grinned.

 

The room was decorated with multi-coloured hangings and filled with chatter and the smell of mead. Yamaguchi beamed appreciatively at his surroundings, failing to notice Tsukki’s half-smile as he watched Yamaguchi’s wonder.

 

Tsukki was quickly approached by other party-goers.

 

“Well.” Smirked a young man with a mess of black hair. “So nice to see my favourite Chaser again!” He ruffled Tsukki’s hair, and Tsukki gave him a look that would have had Yamaguchi running for cover.

 

“Kuroo.” Tsukki greeted him in a voice that seethed with irritation.

 

“Who’s your friend?”

 

Tsukki coughed.

 

“Kuroo, this is Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, this is Kuroo. He used to be the Quidditch captain for Slytherin.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” He greeted Yamaguchi with a smirk and a handshake.

 

“H-Hi!” Yamaguchi stammered, feeling Kuroo’s eyes burning into him. He looked questioningly at the smaller man behind him, who had a quill and a notebook in his hands and a penetrative gaze.

 

“Oh!” Kuroo chuckled, noticing Yamaguchi’s glance. “My P.A, Kozume Kenma.”

 

“Hi.” Kozume didn’t look up from whatever he was writing in his notebook.

 

“Uh, hey.”

 

“So…” Kuroo turned his attention back to Tsukki. “My offer… have you made a decision?”

 

Tsukki began to look uncomfortable under Yamaguchi’s curious gaze.

 

“Not yet.” Tsukki’s eyes snapped to Yamaguchi for less than a second as he spoke.

 

“Think about it.” Kuroo clapped Tsukki’s shoulder before his eyes returned to Yamaguchi. “I think I remember you. Hufflepuff guy, right? You got petrified by that basilisk a few years back…”

 

Yamaguchi blushed.

 

“If that’s how you remember me, then yeah.”

 

“Hmm.” Kuroo watched him thoughtfully. “Never thought I’d miss the days when our biggest problem was a huge fuckin’ snake. If you’ll excuse us… oh, and Tsukki!” He put his hand on Tsukki’s arm, and Yamaguchi noticed with a stab of… irritation? Envy? That Kuroo used Tsukki’s nickname.

 

“There are eyes on you. Be careful of what you’re seen doing.” His eyes flickered again to Yamaguchi. “And with whom.”

 

He left with his arm slung around his slightly irritated-looking P.A, throwing a final smirk over his shoulder.  

 

“Jerk.” Tsukki muttered as soon as Kuroo was out of sight, looking torn between amusement and irritation.

 

“What did he mean? About an offer?”

 

“Just a job offer. It’s not important.” Tsukki answered hurriedly. Yamaguchi frowned.

 

The rest of the party was pleasant enough, even if Yamaguchi did feel like an outsider among so many powerful and influential witches and wizards. He got the feeling that Tsukki had been more unsettled by Kuroo’s presence than he was letting on, and he kept glancing around, as though he had taken Kuroo’s comment about eyes being on him to heart.

 

The next day all the students – excluding those staying over Christmas, which both Tsukki Yamaguchi usually did – departed for the holidays. Except this year, Tsukki was going home.

 

“I don’t want to, but-”

 

“Connections. Yeah, I figured.” Yamaguchi blinked as a particularly large snowflake landed on his eyelashes.

 

Tsukki huffed.

 

“I’d rather spend Christmas with _those_ morons.” Tsukki nodded in the direction of Kageyama and Hinata, who were making out passionately, ignoring the looks they were attracting.

 

Yamaguchi chuckled.

 

“That’s saying something!”

 

Tsukki turned back to Yamaguchi, his gaze affectionate. He glanced furtively around, but Kageyama and Hinata were the only students left, and they were far too engrossed in their own actions to pay the pair any attention.

 

“Merry Christmas.” Tsukki murmured, blushingly pressing a kiss to Yamaguchi’s cheek.

 

Yamaguchi beamed.

 

“You too, Tsukki!”

 

Tsukki smiled faintly, but as he turned to head down the track in the direction of the carriages that waited to take the students to Hogsmede train station, Yamaguchi could see the smile slide off his face to be replaced by a far less happy emotion.

 

Yamaguchi wondered why he felt so worried – after all, Tsukki was safe in his own home.

 

Wasn’t he?

 

For the first week of the holidays Yamaguchi got an owl from Tsukki almost every day, and a package on Christmas day filled with chocolate frogs and fizzing whizzbees. Yamaguchi smiled as he added the chocolate frog cards to the collection he had been nursing since first year.

 

It was Boxing Day when Tsukki fell silent. Over the next few days Yamaguchi sent several owls carrying increasingly concerned letters, all of which returned unopened.

 

He tried to convince himself that there was a reasonable explanation – his owl was just getting confused, or maybe they had gone abroad for the rest of the holiday – yet somehow Yamaguchi doubted it.

 

When he saw Tsukki on the first day back at school, the joy and relief jumping within him was quickly crushed by horror at his condition. It was like when he had first seen Tsukki after summer, but worse. Now his skin had a grey tinge, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His robes looked too big for him, and although he still towered over everyone, Yamaguchi felt as though he had shrunk an inch or two over break.

 

Yamaguchi ran forward with words of greeting and concern forming on his lips, but he was abruptly cut off.

 

“The astronomy tower. Sunset. I’ll explain then.” Tsukki hissed, before walking past Yamaguchi as if nothing had happened.

 

Yamaguchi stood frozen in the middle of the corridor, panic curling in his stomach.

 

“He’s an intense one, isn’t he?” chuckled a stocky witch in the painting beside him.

 

Yamaguchi sent the woman the best glare he could muster, before stalking off down the corridor, her chortles echoing in his ears.

 

When he found Tsukki at the top of the astronomy tower, there was a winter chill in the air, and the bricks were lightly dusted with frost.

 

“Tsukki! What happened? I was worried-”

 

Tsukki silenced him with a look. It wasn’t a look of anger or irritation like Yamaguchi was used to. It was a look of pure exhaustion. 

 

“My parents found out that I’m… with you.”

 

“Uh…” Yamaguchi trailed off. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t that. “They weren’t happy?”

 

“Happy?” Tsukki snorted, but there was no humour in it. “You’re kidding, right?”

 

Yamaguchi scowled.

 

“Hey. What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Tsukki looked at him incredulously.

 

“Are you serious? You have _no_ idea?”

 

“No, I don’t! That’s what happens when you don’t _talk_ to people! They end up not knowing anything!”

 

Tsukki pressed his hands to his head, and Yamaguchi took a step forwards.

 

“Hey, Tsukki, calm down, there’s no need to get frustrated-”

 

“They hit the _roof_ , Tadashi!” Tsukki yelled. Yamaguchi took a step back. “I mean think about it! You’re a nobody from some nowhere village! You’re a boy! But worst of all you’re…” Tsukki chocked on his words.

 

“Say it.” Yamaguchi felt as though he had turned to stone. “Just say it. I know what word you’re thinking of, just spit it out!”

 

“NO.” This time it was Tsukki that stepped forward. “That’s not me, that’s not how I think, how I see you…” His hands were bunched in Yamaguchi’s robes. “It’s my parents, their poisonous views, they can’t… they can’t…”

 

He leaned forwards with a shudder, and Yamaguchi pulled his head down until it was resting on Yamaguchi’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t know how they found out. But they want it ended. They want _us_ ended.” Tsukki murmured into Yamaguchi’s robes.

 

Yamaguchi started to stroke his fingers through Tsukki’s hair.

 

“And you always do what your parents tell you to do. Right, Tsukki?”

 

Tsukki lifted his head until his eyes were level with Yamaguchi’s.

 

“Not anymore.”

 

Yamaguchi breathed out slowly.

 

“So what now?”

 

Tsukki swallowed, raising his head so his eyes met Yamaguchi’s once more.

 

“They nearly decided to send me to Durmstrang instead of letting me come back here. I told them it would mess up my exam results.” Tsukki laughed humourlessly. “I told them I would have nothing more to do with you… but as long as they don’t find out, it’ll be fine. We just have to be even more secretive than before.”

 

Yamaguchi nodded, biting his lip.

 

“We can’t be seen hanging out together anymore. Not even talking.”

 

Yamaguchi nodded again.

 

“Are you…” Tsukki’s voice was tinged with doubt. “You don’t have to do this. Sneak around. Act like we aren’t…You could find someone else, someone who could be with you properly-”

 

Yamaguchi cut him off with a kiss.

 

“There _is_ no one else, idiot.”

 

For the first time that night, the corners of Tsukki’s mouth turned upwards. There was a pause before he replied.

 

“Good.”

 

The rest of the year passed mostly without incident. But at the end of term the fragile peace was shattered.

 

The headmaster was dead.

 

Waves of shock rolled through the school, and Yamaguchi found himself shaken to the core. Their head, while eccentric at the best of times, had always been a comforting presence. Hogwarts felt safe while he was there. Now he was gone, it felt as though the dangers of the wider wizarding world were a step closer. Closer to Hogwarts, closer to him, closer to Tsukki. Closer to home.

 

The sun was shining down on the students as they made their way down to the lake in silence. Yamaguchi caught sight of Tsukki as they filed into the rows of seats which stood facing a marble table. He was, as was often the case, accompanied by a few other Slytherins, who grinned and whispered to each other. Yamaguchi’s temper flared at the sight of their disrespect, but his anger couldn’t last long in the face of the hundreds of mourning students which outnumbered the uncaring or indifferent by a long way.

 

Yamaguchi couldn’t bring himself to look as the body was carried down the aisle, instead fixing his eyes to the back of Tsukki’s head. He showed no obvious signs of mourning, but Yamaguchi noted that his head hung a fraction lower than usual.

 

As the funeral drew to a close and the students began to make their way back to the castle, Tsukki’s eyes momentarily met Yamaguchi’s.

 

Yamaguchi immediately set off for a quiet cluster of trees the pair often used for meetings. He didn’t need to speak to Tsukki to know the other would soon follow.

 

When Tsukki arrived he skipped the usual over-shoulder check, immediately pulling Yamaguchi into a tight embrace.  

 

“It’s ok.” He murmured as Yamaguchi sniffled into his shoulder. “It’s ok.”

 

“But it isn’t anymore, is it?” Yamaguchi pulled back so he could see Tsukki’s expression. “Nothing is.”

 

Tsukki didn’t answer, instead watching Yamaguchi with eyes that were heavy with exhaustion.

 

He didn’t get another chance to see Tsukki before the train left. Instead he swallowed his goodbye along with the rest of his tears and prepared for what would likely be the last glimmer of peace he would know in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *adds Kuroken to the unending list of ships I need to write a fic parallel to this for*  
> If you think Tsukki's life is difficult now then boy howdy you're going to love the next chap.


	8. Seventh Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reign of the Carrows and the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me Father for I have sinned.
> 
> Serious warning: If you get triggered by things I would proceed with care...

**Seventh Year**

_Muggle Born Register_

_A survey of so-called “Muggle-borns” to better understand how they came to possess magical secrets…_

Yamaguchi’s eyes glazed over the words of the _Daily Prophet_ , taking little in.

 

_…invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission._

That… that couldn’t be right. The Ministry would _never_ launch such a ridiculous-

 

But of course. It wasn’t the Ministry at all.

 

Yamaguchi’s heart froze. It had really happened. The only logical explanation of the Ministry’s new standpoint – you-know-who was behind it all.

There was a bitter taste in Yamaguchi’s mouth. He thought of his friends – how many of them would be affected by this?

 

Then it hit him. Sure, his Gran had been a witch, but both his parents were Muggles. Would he be in trouble too?

 

His suspicions were quickly confirmed when, a few days later, he received a concise and formally-worded invitation (which felt more like a demand) to attend an interview.

 

He couldn’t avoid the Ministry, not if he wanted to go back to school the following year. He would simply have to get it over with and hope that his Gran would protect him now as she had done while alive.

 

Upon entering the Ministry, he quickly regretted his decision. He was bustled down stairs and along corridors by burly wizards that felt more like prison guards than escorts. The air grew colder, with the chill that came from being underground but also from something else.

 

When they turned a corridor Yamaguchi found the source of the cold. Witches and wizards were lined up along the wall, cowering away from Dementors that swarmed the corridor. Yamaguchi began to shiver violently, bile rising in his throat. His footsteps faltered, but one of the wizards shoved him in the direction of the bench before he could do anything. Yamaguchi watched as the wizard wiped the hand that had touched Yamaguchi on his robe with a look of disgust.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he waited with the other terrified Muggle-borns, but it felt like centuries. Yamaguchi concentrated on keeping his breathing shallow, failing to fight the feelings of uselessness and despair that suffocated him.

 

At last he was called in for his interview. The voice was sickly-sweet, and he recognised it instantly.

 

Umbridge was perched smugly behind a balustrade with a few other witches and wizards surrounding her. Yamaguchi saw a flash of silver as he noticed the Patronus that patrolled the boundary between them and him. Disgust twisted in his gut as he noted the self-satisfied smirk on Umbridge’s face. He took the one seat in the centre of the room, convinced his legs would not support him much longer.

 

“I didn’t ask you to sit.” Umbridge chirruped, giving no indication that she recognised him from her year of teaching.

 

“I – sorry.”

 

“Not a very good start, is it, dear?” She smiled at Yamaguchi, who was reminded of the expression Mrs Norris wore when toying with a mouse. “You are-” A door opened, and her toad-like features creased with irritation. “Ah. You’re our records-keeper this afternoon? You’re very late. But I suppose it was good of Kuroo to spare you.”

 

Yamaguchi gave a start as he recognised the man in the doorway from the Christmas party the year before. Kozume. That was his name, wasn’t it?

 

Kozume gave no indication that he recognised Yamaguchi as he took a seat beside Umbridge, casting a dirty look in the direction of the Dementors that swarmed Yamaguchi’s half of the room.

 

Umbridge coughed.

 

“As I was saying before I was interrupted,” she paused to send Kozume a pointed look. “You are Yamaguchi Tadashi, correct?”

 

Yamaguchi nodded, his throat dry.

 

“The wand you left at the desk upon your arrival at the ministry.” She held her hand out to Kozume, who immediately passed her a piece of parchment. “Nine inches. Willow. Phoenix feather core. Correct?”

 

Yamaguchi nodded again.

 

“From whom did you steal it?”

 

“I – what?”

 

“From whom did you steal it?” Her smile was venomous.

 

“I didn’t steal it. It chose me!” Yamaguchi clenched his fists.

 

“Temper, temper!” She said in a voice one might use on a toddler. “And you would do well not to lie to us. Your wand cannot have _chosen_ you. Your file shows your parents are _Muggles._ ” She said the last word with a distasteful expression, as though it were a swear word. “And those of non-magical descent simply can’t be chosen by wands or have magic without stealing it!”

 

“But I am of magical descent.”

 

Her eyes glimmered with spite as she held her hand out to Kozume for another file.

 

“Parent’s professions: shop assistant and window cleaner. Open and shut case, I th-”

 

Her eyes narrowed at the second piece of parchment that had appeared under her nose. She glared at Kozume, who held it for her inspection with apparent disinterest.

 

“You missed one.” He explained in a monotone. “Second generation. The grandmother.”

 

She snatched the parchment from his hand.

 

“Yamaguchi Haruka. Half-blood. Healer at St Mungo’s.” She read in a voice that seethed.

 

Relief swept over Yamaguchi, along with a jolt of surprise. His parents had always told him his Gran had been a doctor – it had never occurred to him that she had been a magic one.

 

“Evidence on record of a close relative with magic. He passes.” Kozume continued flatly, taking notes with a large, yellow quill.

 

“Th-th-” Umbridge spluttered. “That is not your judgement to make! May I remind you that you are little more than a P.A!”

 

Kozume’s eyes settled on Umbridge.

 

“I know.” He replied, with the tone kids would use to say _well, duh_.

 

Umbridge coughed, thrown off by his indifference. She returned her attention to Yamaguchi.

 

“Well, in light of – ah, _this_.” She glanced in irritation at the writing in front of her. “You are cleared of any potential magic theft. For the time being. You may collect your wand on the way out.”

 

Yamaguchi remained frozen in place, unable to believe his ears.

 

“Well? Get out!” Umbridge snapped. Yamaguchi was only too happy to oblige.

 

He darted out of the door as fast as his feet could carry him, sensing the restless Dementors behind him, who seemed disappointed to have missed out on new prey. He threw a grateful glance in Kozume’s direction, but the man seemed intent on studying the parchment before him, and did not look up as Yamaguchi left.

 

His breathing did not return to normal until he was several corridors away, and he still swore he could feel the cold eating away at him.

 

Yamaguchi was collecting his wand from the desk at reception when he saw the flash of blonde.

 

Tsukki was standing stiffly in a group of older witches and wizards, his usual expression of displeasure fixed to his face. Yamaguchi recognised a wizard with messy hair – Kuroo, Kozume’s boss – and he watched as he slung an arm around Tsukki’s shoulder, laughing. Tsukki turned to shrug the arm off – an action of irritation, not anger, although with Tsukki the two were often difficult to differentiate – when he spotted Yamaguchi.

 

Their eyes met for less than a second.

 

Then Tsukki turned away as though he had seen nothing.

 

 Yamaguchi stood for perhaps a minute, watching the back of Tsukki’s head. The heavy, cold feeling that came with Dementors had returned, but there were none in sight.

 

That year the Hogwarts express felt weirdly empty. Yamaguchi realised with a jolt that it was the absence of the many Muggle-borns which left so many more empty compartments than usual. But that wasn’t all- there were many people who seemed to have simply vanished. Hinata and Kageyama were nowhere to be found. Of course, Hinata was a Muggle-born, but that didn’t explain Kageyama’s absence. The best he could guess was that the pair had gone on the run together, like he suspected so many others had done. Yachi, the only other still of school-age from their group, had presumably done the same. He hoped they were all safe.

 

The absences, coupled with the lack of his now-graduated upperclassmen, meant that Yamaguchi spent a very lonely journey to Hogwarts.

 

The year didn’t improve from there.

 

The presence of the Carrows meant that Hogwarts… stopped being Hogwarts.

 

He saw Tsukki in some of their classes, but they never tried to speak or meet. Yamaguchi wasn’t stupid. It was way too dangerous, and even if he had passed his interview at the Ministry, he knew that most didn’t see him as any better than those who had failed. The consequences of Tsukki and him being caught so much as talking were too great.

 

He began to attract attention, and not the good kind.

 

“Gross. It _touched_ me.” Someone spat, pushing him into a wall.

 

“Disgusting. I can’t believe he’s still allowed to come here! I thought the Ministry had rounded them all up.”

 

“Don’t worry. He won’t be here much longer.”

 

The pair that had attacked him moved off down the corridor, laughing.

 

Yamaguchi slouched against the wall, breathing heavily. They were right. There was no way he would be able to live safely at Hogwarts for much longer. But at the same time, there was no way of leaving. Attendance was now compulsory. He couldn’t escape.

 

He heard footsteps, and Yamaguchi prepared to run. Being alone in a quiet corridor was increasingly dangerous these days.

 

Tsukki turned the corner, stopping short at the sight of Yamaguchi.

 

“Are… are you ok?” His shining _Head Boy_ badge caught the light of the last rays of sun which trickled through the paned glass windows.

 

Yamaguchi coughed.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Yamaguchi couldn’t remember the last time he had heard Tsukki’s voice. It sounded deeper. That, or Yamaguchi had just forgotten it. The times he had spent with Tsukki were feeling more like a dream with each day that passed.

 

The pair moved off in their separate directions without another word.

 

 As the Carrows settled into their new posts as deputy heads, they became more confident, in particular with punishments.

 

Yamaguchi was walking by a wall where two first years had been chained up – how long had they been there? Days? – when he felt his old Dumbledore’s Army coin burn in his pocket.

 

He took it out, reading the message on the side.

 

This was a rebellion. This was dangerous. This was the kind of thing that could end with Azkaban. Or worse.

 

He looked back to the first years, who were staring at the opposite wall with empty eyes.

 

He clenched his coin into his hand. Hogwarts wasn’t meant to be like this.

 

He quickly found that the army wasn’t exactly revolutionary – graffiti on walls, little more than pranks, really – but it felt almost worth it.

 

Or at least, it did until he was caught.

 

“Of course it would be Mudblood scum.” The voice hissed. The Carrow brother – there was no mistaking it. Yamaguchi froze.

 

The paint was all over both him and the wall. _Fight back!_ It trumpeted in crimson.

 

Yamaguchi looked down at the paint on his hands. He had literally been caught red-handed.

 

A hand clamped down hard on his shoulder.

 

“Good. We were running out of students for practice.” The voice was so close to Yamaguchi’s ear he could feel the breath against his skin.

 

Practice. That could only mean one thing.

 

Yamaguchi began to shake.

 

_Detention._  

 

_He would be ok_. Yamaguchi convinced himself as he was marched to detention, which took the form of a Dark Arts lesson, where other students would –

 

No. He didn’t want to think about it.

 

_He would be ok._ That was the important part. Others had survived it. Sure, they had been shaken up pretty badly, but-

 

_He would be fine. He would be fine._

 

He felt a sharp push on his back as he stumbled into the classroom. There were a few titters. The students stared at him – one or two with veiled sympathy, a few more with shark-like smiles that they didn’t even attempt to hide.

 

Carrow’s smile was the biggest.

 

“Today’s practice subject, class. Don’t hold back. One at a time, and we can practice maintaining our spells today. Prize to whoever can hold it the longest. House points or whatever.”

 

Yamaguchi clenched his fists as desks were pushed to walls and students began lining up with varying levels of enthusiasm.

 

He wouldn’t scream. He _wouldn’t_.

 

The first student stepped forwards, a slender Ravenclaw girl with a cold expression.

 

He would not scream.

 

“ _Crucio.”_

 

He screamed.

 

He wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but his lungs were burning and he had collapsed to the floor at some point without being conscious of doing so. Yamaguchi gasped, sucking in deep breaths of air.

 

 “Good work.” Carrow had taken a seat at his desk. “Next!”

 

Yamaguchi shuddered. That had only been the first person. There was a whole _class_.

 

The next student stepped forwards, and all thought was blown from Yamaguchi’s mind as pain exploded within him once again.

 

Yamaguchi screeched until his throat was raw.

 

The process was repeated maybe half a dozen times – new student, searing pain, brief reprieve, repeat. Yamaguchi noticed a drop in intensity and duration as the less eager students began to take their turns. Carrow chided their comparatively poor attempts. Yamaguchi would have argued that they were still pretty effective.

 

His voice was too hoarse to do much more than whimper by the time class neared its end.

 

He recognised a few house-mates – whose eyes looked watery as they cast curses that felt like paper-cuts in comparison with previous spells – and then there was one student left.

 

“You’re up, Tsukishima. I’d like to see a little more improvement from you.”

 

Yamaguchi’s throat closed up at the name. His body felt too weak to move, but his eyes moved to the pair of feet in front of him, and up and up and up – until his eyes met Tsukki’s.

 

His expression was unreadable.

 

“Any day now, Tsukishima!” Carrow barked.  

 

Tsukki’s knuckles were white as he clenched his wand in his hand, lips pursed together. Of course. If Tsukki was seen resisting, he could be in danger – he could be seen as a sympathiser, a rebel, or worse. His reputation was his only protection, and he couldn’t lose it.

 

Yamaguchi waited silently. He didn’t have energy left to speak, and if he had there wouldn’t really have been anything to say anyway. It was always going to be this way, it seemed; Tsukki and the pure-bloods on top and him beneath. It was like fighting the sunset. All he could do was grit his teeth and take it.

 

He met Tsukki’s eyes and shifted his head in the tiniest nod he could manage. Tsukki’s eyes flashed with understanding.

 

“ _C-Crucio._ ”

 

There was an itchy, uncomfortable feeling crawling across Yamaguchi’s skin for less than a second, then nothing.

 

There was a grunt of irritation from the teacher.

 

“You’ve got to _feel_ it. I’ve told you this before. Look.”

 

Yamaguchi heard footsteps before he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head.

 

“Look at him. This Mudblood scum would threaten _our_ purity, _our_ society, with Muggle filth. He’s a disease. And he deserves to be punished.”

 

Yamaguchi closed his eyes as he received another kick to his head.

 

“Now, remember that. Remember, and try again.”

 

Yamaguchi kept his eyes shut as his body tensed for the oncoming attack.

 

“ _C-Crucio!_ ” The voice was a little louder this time, but the spell pulled little more than a shudder from Yamaguchi. Unpleasant, of course, but a million miles from the power the other curses had held.

 

He heard a growl of frustration from Carrow.

 

“For Merlin’s sake. Like _this_.”

 

Yamaguchi saw a flash of light through his eyelids before his body was twisting and jerking beyond his control, the pain consuming him utterly. His hands flew up to grip at the sides of his hand, perhaps trying to squeeze his brain out of his skull. His voice was already so exhausted that the noise he made wasn’t even a scream, but more of a long, silent howl.

 

When it finished at last, Yamaguchi’s muscles were still in spasms, and he swore he could feel imprints where his fingernails had dug into his scalp.

 

“Now try again. Come on, or we’ll be here all day.”

 

Yamaguchi cracked one eye open. Tsukki wasn’t looking at him, but at Carrow, with an expression of the purest loathing.

 

“ _Crucio_.”  This time the incantation was said in a steel voice, and while Tsukki’s wand was pointed at Yamaguchi, his eyes were locked onto Carrow.

 

Yamaguchi’s vision went black as white hot pain exploded across his body, pulling yet another series of cries from his dry lips.

 

Once again the pain subsided, and Yamaguchi gulped down as much air as his lungs could hold. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Tsukki. He didn’t want the other to see his face, see how close to breaking point he was.

 

“That wasn’t very long. You need to work on your duration.” Carrow kicked at Yamaguchi’s head as he tried to push himself up with arms that were shaking with fatigue, knocking him back to the floor. “Do it again. Make it last this time, or we’ll keep practicing until you do.”

 

Yamaguchi could hear the sneer in Carrow’s voice. He was enjoying himself, prolonging Yamaguchi’s torture for as long as he could.

 

Tsukki sighed, but it sounded forced in Yamaguchi’s ears. He was faking disinterest as usual. Yamaguchi prayed Tsukki could hold the façade.

 

“ _Crucio_.”

 

The curse felt a little weaker, as though the anger Tsukki had been channelling had been sapped. Instead it lasted longer, and Yamaguchi tasted blood in his mouth as he bit through the skin of his lip.

 

Now when it subsided he could still feel the aftermath of the pain prickling across his skin, as though it had left a million invisible scars scattered across him under his freckles. He blinked his eyes open, waiting for the twitching to subside and wondering if the torture would ever end. It had to, sooner or later, didn’t it? Yet in this room time didn’t seem to work by any of the normal laws of the universe. While periods of pain lasted aeons, the intervals between them were less than a thousandth of a second.

 

“Alright, good enough. All of you can go to… whatever you’re meant to be doing now.” Carrow’s footsteps moved away and there was a creak as he presumably returned to the seat behind his desk.    

 

The class filed out in silence as Yamaguchi tried to pull himself to his feet. His muscles felt like jelly slugs and refused to support him as his feet slipped from underneath him. None of the students offered him a hand – Yamaguchi didn’t blame them – and they averted their eyes as they filed out past him, in shame or perhaps in embarrassment at his weakness, Yamaguchi didn’t know. Yamaguchi and Carrow were the only ones left by the time Yamaguchi managed to get to his feet, using the desk to support his legs. How he was going to make it anywhere like this, he had no idea, but he couldn’t stand another second in that room.

 

Carrow showed no apparent interest in Yamaguchi as he wobbled in the direction of the door, only looking in his direction when he reached the doorway.

 

“Hey, filth!”

 

Yamaguchi turned to face Carrow, terror curling within him. Compared to what he had just been through, there was nothing more Carrow could possibly do. Was there?

 

“I didn’t say _you_ could leave.” He cracked a toothy smile.

 

There was another flash of red, and it started again, the worst pain of all of the curses, of any pain, and Yamaguchi screamed as black stole across his vision-

 

He was falling. There was a crack, and a searing pain in his head – not any worse than the torture, just different – then Yamaguchi caught a glimpse of the solid doorframe he had smacked his head off. He felt his consciousness slipping through his fingers like sand, and the only thought to pass through Yamaguchi’s mind before the blackness overtook him was _Thank God_.

 

When he woke, it was not the cold, hard classroom floor he had expected but soft sheets and the smell of disinfectant. Yamaguchi had spent enough time there due to Quidditch injuries to recognise the unmistakeable smell of the infirmary. Pain throbbed faintly throughout his body, and Yamaguchi winced as he tried to adjust his position. His head felt the worst, as though his skull had been cracked open by an enraged troll with a club.

 

Yamaguchi couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t even breathe properly without aching, so he took the only painless option he could and slept.

 

The next time he came around the room had darkened considerably. Yamaguchi cracked one eye open. What had awoken him? He didn’t want to be awake. Not when everything hurt the way it did.

 

He looked up to see a shadow standing over him.

 

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi found that his voice could manage a whisper now.

 

The figure moved closer, and Yamaguchi saw him properly. He was white enough to rival one of the Hogwarts ghosts, and his eyes looked positively haunted. He looked about as well as Yamaguchi felt.

 

“Yamaguchi.” Tsukki seemed unable to manage anymore. He began shaking, crouching beside the bed. “Yamaguchi.” He repeated in a cracked voice.

 

Yamaguchi reached out with an arm that screamed in pain to grab Tsukki’s hand, pulling it against him.

 

“It’s okay, Tsukki.” He whispered, despite knowing that the other wouldn’t believe him for a second. “It’s okay.”

 

“Of course it isn’t. What did I do to you? Oh fuck, oh _fuck-”_ His voice broke off again and Yamaguchi watched as Tsukki’s mask shattered to reveal the broken shell inside. He collapsed forwards, tears rolling down his cheeks, as his head fell onto Yamaguchi’s chest.

 

“Sssh.” Yamaguchi brought his free hand up to Tsukki’s hair – again ignoring the complaints from his body – and began to run his fingers slowly through his curls. “I’m fine, it was – it was nothing.”

 

“I – I _tortured_ you, you idiot! You call that nothing?!” Tsukki hissed into his chest, failing to keep his voice from rising despite the consequences that would surely come if he were caught in the infirmary with Yamaguchi at this time of night.

 

“I know. I know.” Yamaguchi squeezed the hand that was still holding Tsukki’s, tears spilling from his eyes.

 

“I – I’ve done the most horrible things, Yamaguchi.” Tsukki’s voice was almost inaudible.

 

For a moment, Yamaguchi didn’t know how to answer.

 

“We – we all have. Since all this started-” He broke of when Tsukki lifted his head. There was a look in his eyes that sent an unexplainable terror to Yamaguchi’s heart.

 

“No. Not like that. I-” Whatever it was, Tsukki seemed unable to say it. He broke eye contact with Yamaguchi, biting his lip. Yamaguchi could almost see the walls going back up, hear the gates locking him out again.

 

“Tsukki, I’ve always told you, you can _talk_ to me-” He grabbed Tsukki’s arm, and the fabric of his robes slid back.

 

Yamaguchi’s words died in his throat as the breath was sucked from his lungs. Tsukki followed the line of his eyesight to see what had caused Yamaguchi’s shock, and his eyes widened with panic when he realised.

 

He jerked away, pulling the cloth back down over his arm, but it was too late. Yamaguchi had already seen it.

 

The twisted snake-skull tattoo that spiralled across his forearm.

 

There was no mistaking it.

 

Tsukki had the Dark Mark.

 

The Slytherin waited, unmoving, for Yamaguchi’s reaction.

 

Yamaguchi’s mind felt as though it was exploding. He had hit his head too hard, that was it. This wasn’t real. This _couldn’t_ be real. Not Tsukki, not his childhood friend, who had always been there, who had protected him from bigoted bullies and told Yamaguchi how he wasn’t like his parents-

 

His parents. The wealthy, prejudiced pure-bloods who looked down on those like Yamaguchi and would do anything they could to gain power.

 

They fitted the Death Eater demographic perfectly. And Tsukki was one of them too.

 

How had Yamaguchi been so blind?

 

“Get out.” Yamaguchi spat.

 

“What?”

 

“Get out.” His voice raised in volume, and Tsukki flinched backwards. “Now. Or I’ll start screaming. And then what would you do? What would your Death Eater buddies think when they saw you with scum like me? Go on! SCRAM!”

 

He screeched the last word, ignoring the burning in his throat, and Tsukki jerked into action, sprinting ashen-faced from the infirmary as fast as his legs could carry him.

 

As soon as Tsukki was out of sight, Yamaguchi let out a howl, which quickly dissolved into a sob.

 

All this time. All this time it had been a lie. Tsukki  - _Tsukishima_ – was just as bad as his parents. Yamaguchi had been nothing to him – a joke, a distraction, an experiment – whatever, he didn’t matter. Tsukishima was always going to end up like his parents - some powerful, bigoted Ministry official. Yamaguchi had just been a side-track.

 

And if gaining power meant being a Death Eater, then why not?

 

It was daybreak before Yamaguchi’s tears subsided.

 

He wasn’t surprised when, not long after, he received a Ministry owl requesting a “review” of his previous interview. If anything, he was surprised they had even bothered with the formality.

 

It was just after Christmas, and snow still lay on the ground. It had been the busiest Christmas ever at Hogwarts, as no students had been allowed to return home lest they attempt to go into hiding. Tsukki however, had been made an exception, and left on the first day of holidays. To some “apprenticeship at the Ministry” according to rumour, but which Yamaguchi was pretty sure really meant “Death Eater work”.

 

Nevertheless, he wasn’t stupid enough to go to the Ministry for their sham of a review. He had been lucky enough to get away the first time. Instead he took the only option available to him, one which many other members of the D.A. had been taking over recent months.

 

He moved into the Room of Requirement, and into hiding.

 

For weeks there was nothing but the day – to – day boredom of living in close quarters with the other students – or refugees, as Yamaguchi began to think of them. Rumours circled wildly of the outside world, but Yamaguchi didn’t bother getting his hopes up too much. His hope was dried up, exhausted, gone. All he had left to do was survive.

 

And survive he did. Until a night when the portal to the Hog’s Head opened, and the Boy who Lived came through.

 

The Battle of Hogwarts was beginning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is likely to be the last I will be able to post until next week, but it was extra long to make up for this.
> 
> I feel I crossed a line with this chap...  
> I'm so sorry, Yama.


	9. The Battle of Hogwarts, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now we return to where we began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter continues directly from the first chapter so if you can't remember what's going on I would suggest perhaps re-reading that part.

**The Battle of Hogwarts, 2nd May, 1998…again.**

It was Tsukishima.

 

Looking a little beaten up, draped in a long, black Death Eater cloak and with a mouth that was slightly agape, but all the same, it was definitely him.

 

Yamaguchi opened his mouth, but before he could say anything a trickle of dust floated down from the ceiling between them. This was followed by a loud cracking noise.

 

Yamaguchi was so distracted by the deep black crack crawling across the ceiling that for less than a second he let his guard drop completely. But that was long enough for Tsukishima to charge forwards, tackling Yamaguchi off his feet and knocking him backwards. Yamaguchi cried out in shock just as the ceiling along with a good part of the wall collapsed behind them.

 

All other sounds of the battle faded out for a moment as Yamaguchi was transfixed by wide amber eyes and the warm, dizzyingly familiar body pressed against him.

 

“Yamaguchi?” The hesitant voice broke the spell.

 

Yamaguchi pushed Tsukishima backwards, dropping his wand in favour of a punch to the face.

 

“DON’T YOU _DARE_ TOUCH ME!”

 

Tsukishima brought a hand up to his face in shock.

 

“I think you broke my nose.” He stated lamely.

 

“Good!” Yamaguchi shoved him and he toppled backwards, landing flat on his back.

 

The first signs of anger flashed across Tsukishima’s face.

 

“What’s fighting like a muggle going to achieve?!” He spat, wiping away a trickle of blood that was making its way from his nose to his upper lip.

 

Yamaguchi leapt on top of Tsukki with a shriek of rage, grabbing him by the lapels.

 

“That’s right, Tsukki! Because anything to do with Muggles is – how do you put it? – Pathetic! Muggles are pathetic, Muggle-borns are pathetic, and _I’m_ pathetic! You don’t need to bother saying “Muggle” anymore, because we both know what you’re really thinking! So just say it!” Yamaguchi was screaming right in Tsukishima’s face, and he was just sitting there, just _taking it_ , with white skin and his mouth hanging open, and God, it was _infuriating_.

 

“Just say it! MUD! That’s what I am to you! Mud! A filthy Mudblo-”

 

Yamaguchi was cut off when Tsukishima clamped a hand over his mouth. Yamaguchi squawked indignantly, pushing Tsukishima’s hand away. He opened his mouth again, but Tsukishima cut across him.

 

“Don’t you dare use that word about yourself! Not now, not ever!” Tsukishima raged.

 

Yamaguchi recoiled.

 

“That’s more than a little hypocritical, coming from _you_!” He spat in retaliation, yanking back Tsukishima’s sleeve to reveal the tattoo that was still burned into his skin.

 

“If you would just let me _explain-_ ” Tsukishima began, furiously pulling his cloak back down his arm.

 

“Explain?! You?! Mr You-wouldn’t-understand-you-don’t-know-what-it’s-like?!? That’s a first!”

 

“ _Please,_ Yamaguchi!”

 

Yamaguchi glanced around, noticing that the fight seemed to have moved off after the ceiling started collapsing. Probably the only reason nobody had tried to kill them during their distraction.

 

“Fine. Shoot.” Yamaguchi crossed his arms, watching as Tsukishima squirmed beneath him.

 

“It’s – It’s like this…” Tsukishima began, but Yamaguchi didn’t get to hear the rest.

 

“Tsukki, you mad bastard!” Kuroo burst into the room, covered in what looked like soot and with a trickle of blood running down the side of his head. “What the hell are you _doing_ , you’re going to get yourself…oh.” His eyes fell on Yamaguchi, who had scrambled for his wand and was now pointing it in the direction of the man who wore the unmistakeable black robes of a Death Eater.

 

Kozume appeared behind him a second later, looking comparatively collected aside from being out of breath.

 

“We need to clear out of this room, the whole structure’s going to collapse.” He panted, before shooting a curse over his shoulder without looking. There was a scream and a thud.

 

“You heard him. Grab your boyfriend, we’re getting outta here.”

 

“I’m not going _anywhere_ with _any_ of you!” Yamaguchi scrambled backwards, unsure who to point his wand at.

 

“Then you’re going to be crushed under rubble any second now.” Kozume pointed out flatly.

 

“What are you talking about, kid?” Kuroo turned to Tsukishima. “Tsukki, what’s he… wait, you haven’t _told him_?”

 

“Told me _what_?” Yamaguchi’s sanity felt about as sturdy as the ceiling.

 

“We _really_ don’t have time for this!” Kozume’s voice increased a little in volume.

 

“For Merlin’s sake, explain quickly, no wonder he’s looking at us like that.”

 

Yamaguchi turned back to Tsukishima. For a few moments, all were silent.

 

“Yamaguchi…” Tsukishima began in a quiet voice. “…I’m a double agent.”

 

Yamaguchi’s mind was pulled back to _James Bond_ films he had watched when he was a kid. That world of spies and espionage didn’t match up with this one at all.

 

“Double agent?” The words sounded strange in Yamaguchi’s mouth.

 

“I knew my parents were Death Eaters, and I knew they’d pull me into all of that crap. So I decided that if I was going in, I was going to make myself useful.”

 

“More than useful.” Kuroo interrupted. “We’ve been taking these bastards apart from the inside for _months_. You think you and your kiddie-club buddies could even make a stand against the Death Eater army at full strength? The only reason you’re still alive is because of us-” He was cut off when Kozume’s elbow jabbed his side.

 

“Did you think it was just a coincidence I was at your interview?” Kozume continued, ignoring Kuroo’s squawk of protest. “We’ve been helping as many Muggle-borns slip through the net as possible.”

 

“And Tsukki would never have forgiven us if you got arrested-” Kuroo was silenced by a look from Tsukkishima.

 

“I wanted to tell you.” Tsukishima’s eyes met Yamaguchi’s. “But that would have put us both in danger. I had to keep you safe. Like I promised, remember?”

 

Yamaguchi did remember. And at last he understood.

 

“Tsukki…” He felt his voice cracking.

 

“I’m sorry.” Tsukki whispered.

 

Yamaguchi drew in a shuddering breath, feeling a tear tracing softly down his cheek.

 

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Yamaguchi stammered, feeling a second tear follow the first.

 

“It is?” Tsukki’s gaze became intense. He slowly, tentatively, reached out to stroke Yamaguchi’s cheek, wiping away his tears.

 

It was at that point that Yamaguchi broke completely.

 

He ignored Kozume’s exaggerated sigh, Kuroo’s grumble of “fucking _finally_ ”, but not Tsukki’s short, sharp gasp as he grabbed his face in his hands and pulled their lips together.

 

It was rough, sloppy and more than a little bit teary. But Yamaguchi didn’t care in the slightest.

 

His lips slid against Tsukki’s as he felt frantic hands fluttering across his jawline, his neck, running upwards to turn into fists in his hair.

 

When they broke apart at last for air, Yamaguchi made a noise somewhere between a sob and a chuckle, noticing that he was no longer the only one crying.

 

Tsukki leaned forwards, his eyes dropping back to Yamaguchi’s lips. But before they could start again, Kuroo’s voice cut through.

 

“For fuck’s sake, save it for later! There’s a war on!”

 

When the ceiling collapsed a few minutes later on the emptied room, Tsukishima’s abandoned Death Eater cloak was buried under rocks and rubble, never to be recovered. 

 

In the chaotic celebration that followed their victory, Tsukki’s explanation was passed from person to person, until every friend Yamaguchi had knew the truth about Tsukki’s actions. 

 

As they all clustered around one end of a table, nursing each other’s wounds and alternating between laughing over wins and crying over losses, Tsukki was at last reunited with the rest of Dumbledore’s Army. With understanding returning to their eyes at last, the greetings were warm and genuine. Tanaka clapped him on the back heartily- much to Tsukki’’s displeasure – and Daichi insisted on shaking his hand, whispering something in Tsukki’s ear that Yamaguchi didn’t quite catch. Even Kageyama, arm resting around Hinata’s shoulders, sent a nod in Tsukki’s direction. Kiyoko watched with a steady gaze, arms around Yachi, who was curled up in her lap. But amongst all the jubilation and reunion it wasn’t long before Tsukki’s eyes met Yamaguchi’s with a silent plea for solitude.

 

This was how the pair found themselves, as they had countless times before, resting in peace together at the top of the astronomy tower. They watched in silence, bodies pressed together, as the sun rose on a new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue to follow.
> 
> In other news, I've got enough of a plan to start writing a Daisuga fic to go alongside this one. I don't know how long it will be before I start posting, so keep an eye out!
> 
> Thanks for reading this far, and thanks for all the lovely feedback you've given me!


	10. Nineteen Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has moved on. Tsukki hasn't.

**Nineteen Years Later**

The grass was damp with morning dew as Yamaguchi padded, barefoot and still in pajamas, down to the bottom of the garden. His breath spiralled into the air, mixing with wisps of steam from the mug of hot chocolate clasped between his fingers. The sky was white, the clouds heavy with the snow that would doubtless come.

 

He found Tsukki, as usual, sitting by the tiny pond at the end of their garden. Yamaguchi supposed that watching the ripples of the water reminded Tsukki in some bittersweet way of the Slytherin common room beneath the lake. A place doubtless filled with as many good memories as bad ones. Tsukki didn’t move, not even reacting to the unmistakeable scuffling of their latest infestation of gnomes.

 

Yamaguchi approached quietly, taking a seat beside Tsukki in the damp grass and letting their shoulders rub together. Tsukki blinked and glanced towards him, before letting his head fall to rest on Yamaguchi’s shoulder.

 

“Nightmares again?” Yamaguchi asked, watching a baby Grindylow darting between tendrils of seaweed.

 

Tsukki let out a long breath.

 

“Yes.”

 

“You should have woken me.”

 

“You have a shift at St Mungo’s later. You need your sleep.”

 

“Irrelevant.” Yamaguchi nuzzled into the top of Tsukki’s head.

 

“We can’t have patients suffering because the hospital’s best healer was awake at sunrise on my account.”

 

“Oh hush, you.” Yamaguchi chuckled.

 

 The pair sat in silence for a while as the air grew warmer around them with the rising sun. Perhaps it would be too warm for snow, after all.

 

“An owl arrived from Kageyama and Hinata, by the way.” Yamaguchi continued. “They both send their love.”

 

Tsukki snorted. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes.

 

“Ok, _Hinata_ sends his love. He says they’re training very hard at the moment, what with their plans for the Quidditch World Cup, so nothing new there.”

 

“Hmm.” Tsukki murmured, his mind a million miles away. Yamaguchi watched as his fingers started scratching absently at the faded red mark on his forearm, the only remaining evidence of the Dark Mark on Tsukki’s skin. It was a gesture Yamaguchi was used to seeing when Tsukki’s thoughts pulled him too far into the past, with nails pressing in hard enough to leave scarred skin behind.

 

“I still say what I’ve always said, you know.”  At the sound of Yamaguchi’s voice, Tsukki turned his head so their eyes could meet. “If you ever need to talk… I’m here to listen.”

 

Tsukki smiled gently, with eyes too old for his face. The ones of a parent reluctant to tell their child that there wasn’t a Father Christmas after all.

 

“If I ever think it’ll help, I will.”

 

Yamaguchi nodded. He didn’t get the feeling Tsukki would ever quite be able to share the horrors of his time as a Death Eater, the unimaginable acts he had seen or committed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t heal. Tsukki had always been one for dealing with things on his own. But Yamaguchi would be behind him every step of the way, ready to catch his friend should he fall. 

 

Yamaguchi was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice as Tsukki pulled his wand from his pocket. He watched as Tsukki twirled it thoughtfully between his fingers.

 

“I always wondered…” He stopped.

 

“What?”

 

“I just… I always wondered if it would make it any easier.”

 

“What would, Kei?”

 

Tsukki reached up to tap the wand against his temple. When he drew it back, a long wisp of dark grey smoke swirled from the tip.

 

“If I just… removed the memories. Would it make it easier, do you think?” He studied the wisp pensively.

 

Yamaguchi watched, his mouth dry. He thought of some of his darkest memories, some of which he had learned to live with and others he had simply blocked out. Would life be easier without them?

 

“I…I don’t know.”

 

Tsukki glanced up at him, before returning his gaze to his wand.

 

“I could be free. Of all the… all the _darkness_. I could be free to love the life I have.” There was an intensity in Tsukki’s eyes that was close to anger. “I could… I could love you in the way you deserve.”

 

Yamaguchi shivered.

 

“You already do.” He placed his hand on the back of Tsukki’s neck. “Even if you don’t realise it.”

 

“So you think it’s a bad idea?”

 

“I think… what you do with your memory is your choice. If you really think it’ll make you happy…” Yamaguchi trailed off.

 

Tsukki nodded. Yamaguchi waited breathlessly.

 

At last Tsukki returned the tip of the wand to his head, letting the wisp seep back into his mind with a shudder.

 

“I think not. Forgetting what I did to get what I have… that wouldn’t be fair. Am I making sense?”

 

“Not really.” Yamaguchi smiled, leaning against Tsukki, who immediately wrapped an arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder. “There’s a mug of hot chocolate waiting for you inside, by the way.”

 

“It can wait a little longer.”

 

Flakes of snow began twirling and floating towards the ground around them.

 

Tsukki’s mark had not burned in nineteen years. And while all was not entirely well, Yamaguchi knew that, one day, it would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much for reading. I loved writing this fic, and I have plenty of other ideas for this AU that I plan on exploring (currently on chapter two of the Daisuga fic mwahaha).
> 
> A couple notes on the end of this story for anyone who is interested:  
> -Tsukki and Yama have rented a small house near Diagon Ally together.  
> -While Yama took after his Gran and became a Healer, Tsukki's job involves monitoring the Dragon population in south England (this means a lot of trips away from home and the occasional burn that gives poor Yama a heart attack)  
> \- Kuroo, Kenma and Tsukki were officially acquitted of any war crimes after proving that they were working against the Death Eaters from within.   
> -Every year a few members of Dumbledore's Army reunite to reminis together. Tsukki and Kageyama invariably end up arguing. Some things never change.  
> -Tsukki never saw his parents again after the battle, but he was later reunited with his brother.  
> -For both Tsukki and Yama, the nightmares did, eventually, stop. 
> 
> If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate.  
> Thank you, and goodnight!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!


End file.
